Each Other's Comfort
by caliatheart
Summary: AU.  It's the same old cliché: they grew up together, known each other since diapers.  They moved from small town Tree Hill to city of dreams Los Angeles.  Nothing could get in their way… except a little twist.
1. The Excuse

**I'm back! For those of you who have read Celebrity Crime, I think you're gonna like this nice change. It may be confusing, but I would love to get back to you on any problems in personal responses. For those who haven't read Celebrity Crime, well, you don't have to to understand this story, it's complete 180. You're more than welcome to read my first story though! Speaking of personal responses, I'm working on the ones who reviewed CC. But enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the plot.**

Each Other's Comfort

Ch. 1 – The Excuse

**7:15 p.m. – Trojan Country Apartments**

"Haley!"

Nathan shut the door with urgency. He was on edge, having one the worst nights of his life and all he wanted to do was see Haley.

"In here!"

He heard her voice from the hallway and automatically migrated towards it. He passed their silly pictures that showcased their foyer/hallway. In his haste, his large shoulder accidently brushed against the frame that was styled in four squares of what you take in picture booths at the movies or mall. One corner had them smiling regular; the next had them doing the West Coast sign, the left corner had them sticking out their tongues and puffing out their faces, and the last had a simple kiss. It was in techni-colors that gave the edgy/modern feel that their mutual friend, Peyton, produced while playing around with her editing software. The picture tilted slightly but Nathan barely noticed.

He walked the hallway fast, tight strides until he noticed light and poppy music coming from the room to the right. He deduced that Haley was in their office room. He turned to enter and stopped at the doorframe.

He smiled. He didn't want to approach just yet, because the view right now calmed him.

Haley lightly mumbled to the song as she faced their desktop, completely engrossed in her work. Nathan took advantage. She was sitting Indian style in the computer chair but there was a gap big enough to show her lower back. The green shirt rid up to expose her tiny 23 tattoo right in the middle with their high school colors. He smiled/smirk at the sight.

Nathan had the same tattoo on his lower back, but only he and Haley knew about it. They both got the matching tattoos as a graduation gift. He continued to watch Haley mess around on the computer. Based on the clicking, he figured she was editing her melody to her project. He smiled bigger.

"And done," she said. "I can feel you staring, you know."

Nathan stayed where he was but lifted his gaze when she swiveled the chair to look at him. Her honey/blond hair was in a messy ponytail and she had her black-rimmed glasses that seemed to demand attention to only her eyes. She was "scrubbed" – one of their many slang words – meaning she was dressed-down but she was beautiful to Nathan.

"How's your project?" Nathan asked. He leaned back against one side of the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. He felt his serene smile.

"Added the finishing touches," Haley said. "I'm going to obsess over it and probably change the whole thing for a different feel this weekend. How was dinner?"

Nathan scoffed lightly at her comment that allured to her as a perfectionist. She wasn't, when it came to her work. No, she was OCD, anal perfectionist when it came to her music. But his scoff turned bitter at his disastrous meeting before now.

"Same bullshit as always," he said. "'Nathan, you need bulk up.' 'Nathan, 28 points per a game is nothing. I could do that blindfolded with an injured knee.' 'You think you're gonna make it? Not with that weak fade-away. I'm 50 years old and can block your shot all the way to Tree Hill River.' 'Your age, I was scoring 40. You're a shrimp, kid.' I don't know why I agree with these stupid dinners."

"Your father is an ass."

Nathan laughed. They've been together forever, and he still wasn't used to her bluntness when it came to his father. She always hated the man; the feeling was mutual on his father's part. Another nagging he always got from Dan Scott every week since elementary school.

Haley James never uttered an expletive adjective to describe even Hitler or Osama Bin Laden. Haley never called anyone an ass or a bitch, not even Rachel Gatina – who did some pretty nasty things to Haley that still upsets Nathan to this day – her high school rival. Haley was literally the nice girl. But mention his father, and she cursed. He loved it.

"I don't know why I put myself through this." Nathan said. He was bummed and didn't understand for the life of him why he sees his father when all he ever does is belittle him. He needed assurance and comfort. That's why he left his father in the dust of scotch on the rocks and went straight home to Haley.

"Because he's your father and we always want our parents' approval when we know we're just setting ourselves up for failure," Haley said with a sigh and a puppy-dog look.

Nathan smiled softly. She felt his pain, hell; she was going through with it since puberty, the time the verbal abuse began.

"It's okay, Nathan," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, because he means nothing. He's just jealous that you've accomplished way more than he could ever do."

Nathan watched as she got up from the chair and went to him. Her small frame squished against his torso in a hug and he let his arms fall and pulled her close. His favorite perfume invaded his nostrils. She talked against his shirt.

"You've been ignoring what he's been saying for ten years. He's only on your ass because you're in school. One more semester and you can throw money in his face to shut him up."

Nathan laughed.

"Repeat after me," she said. "My name is Nathan Scott."

"My name is Nathan Scott," he said, with a hint of humor. He already felt the bitterness going away.

"I'm the 22-year-old senior captain of the USC Trojans Men's Basketball Team."

He repeated.

"I didn't blow my knee out my freshman year and I'm going to lead my team to the NCAA championship."

He repeated.

"I'm not my father."

"I'm not my father," he said.

"Because Haley said so."

He laughed out-right genuine. "Say it," she said.

"Because Haley said so," he said.

She looked up at him and smiled huge. His days were centered on making her happy and seeing that smile. He simply loved it. She adjusted her legs so that she was centered. He felt her arms tightened around his back and he heard her groan as she tried to hug him so hard that he lifted from the ground. It never happened. He was 6"2' 210 pounds worth of muscle. Haley barely reached 5"4' and 120 pounds. But he found it cute every time she tried.

He squeezed back and they stayed like that for a few minutes. Nathan felt better. Then again, Haley always had that effect on him. He breathed her strawberry shampoo and placed a tiny kiss on top of her head.

"Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Feel better?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, Nathan?" She said, her voice muffled by his polo shirt.

"Yeah?" Content was in his voice.

"What would you do without me?"

"I'd die."

"I'm here always."

His arms broke from her back and his right hand pushed her slightly off his body. He glanced down at her face and placed his hand on the left side of her chest. "I'll be here forever," he said.

She reached up, her hand already gripping his neck. She went on her tippy-toes and licked her lips before Nathan felt her softness on his chapped lips. The kiss wasn't chaste enough but it wasn't long either. It was the exact middle that him a little weak in the leg strength department.

He wasn't for sure who broke first but when he opened his clear dark-blue eyes, her chocolate brown eyes were shining back at him. They were wide and Nathan been with Haley long enough to know what expression her eyes were telling him. He wasted no time as he went back for the kiss, this time his rough hands guiding her to the other side of the doorway.

He made sure he wasn't rough in the pushing. There was a light thud as her back collided and he slipped his tongue in her waiting mouth. His mouth took control, both lips dominating her bottom lip, sucking, licking, and nipping the bottom counter-part of her mouth. She moaned as her top lip tried to stroke his mouth, but it just couldn't compete.

He pulled away slightly for a breath and went back to work. He pressed his body close as he continued his dominate pattern on Haley's bottom lip. His rough hands travelled down her sides before it gripped both sides of her jean-clad thighs. He pulled up and felt the air whoosh up.

His lips never stopped kissing her as he transferred both of them to table inside the room. He sat Haley at the edge as his mouth pulled back, his teeth catching the lip he was working on and lightly pulled. She hissed and he smoothed the pain over with the flat of his tongue. His angle changed as his hands trailed up until they cupped her neck. He felt her pulse going crazy under his palms and this time he moaned. He felt the heat of this make-out session and he knew he had to stop before they did it again on this very same table. It barely lasted the last time.

His brain was telling him to stop but his body seemed to go rogue. He kept kissing her and she kept encouraging it. He moaned again and shifted his angle when her head pulled back. It came back to his face, only to have what he really wanted – her lips – facing away from him. She was panting, struggling to find her breath and he had to thank her even though his body was protesting. She stopped him before it got too heated… well, before things got _sweaty_, was more appropriate.

He took a deep breath and it came out shaky. He pulled his head back and stayed where he was. Haley still clung to him. They didn't say anything for the longest time.

It had to be five minutes before their breathing was normal. Nathan still cupped her neck while her fingers tightened on his triceps. He gently glided her face until she faced his. She had that beautiful smile on her face and Nathan felt the tension switch to one of normal. He smiled back.

"So did you break up with him yet?" He asked.

"Um, not yet," she said. She let go of him and Nathan felt himself being pushed away. She slid her butt down until she was vertical. "I'm going to tonight. That's why I stopped you. I have to get ready."

He allowed her to move past him and out to the hallway. He stayed in the room while Haley tracked to her room, which was just across the way. He sat on the table as he watched Haley strip her shirt off on the way to her room and he raised an eyebrow. He saw the hot pink strap across her back for a split second before she disappeared in her room. Her door was still open though for communication.

"Gonna use the same excuse?" Nathan asked.

"No, I'm going to use a different one."

"Right," he said, exaggerating the word. He even laughed out right.

"Excuse me; I've used different excuses for all the men I broke up with!"

Her tone made him bite the inside of his cheek. Her voice was shrill, with genuine insult but it pitched at the end. It made Nathan think that he was supposed to be scared of the ferocious kitty when Haley used that tone.

"Boys," he said, correcting her. "And what excuse did you use for Sean, James, Lucas, Marvin, and Joseph?"

She entered the room with a nice silk blouse with the jeans she was wearing. He felt his eyes trail her body, appreciating everything that God blessed her with. She was very simple, but incredibly sexy to him. He stopped at her feet and noticed the black toed-boots that gave her three inches of extra height.

When he made eye contact again, Haley was leaning against the opposite wall with her arms crossed. He pissed her off, and he secretly grinned. He completely understood Neyo's "_Mad_." Haley, on the other hand, didn't and he liked it that way.

"That's beside the point," she said. "I'm using a new excuse with Paul tonight."

"Okay, sweetheart."

"You know, Nathan Scott, one of these days you're gonna choke on that condescending tone. Just you watch."

He nodded as she looked down at her watch after she said it. She cursed and left the room to grab her purse, yelling that she was gone.

"Let me know when you use the same excuse!"

He couldn't help but get a last jab in.

**11:15 p.m. Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

_Charlie Sheen went to rehab today. So him and his wife are at different rehab centers and the only reason why is so he couldn't stab her._

Nathan chuckled then full-out laughed at the joke. He was sprawled out on the living room couch, vegging out on some Lays Original potato chips. His wife beater was a little higher on his stomach, exposing his happy trail and he was in maroon-colored basketball shorts. One of his legs rested off the couch.

Tonight, he made a new favorite TV show. He stumbled across Chelsea Lately while flipping channels. He was bored and just happened to flip to the _E! Channel_ where he caught the blond telling a joke about the _Kardashians_. It was fucking hilarious and now here he was feeling like he couldn't breathe and tears formed at his eyes.

He was listening to another comedian put his input in the pop culture topic when he heard the door slam. His head diverted for a quick second before his attention focused on the show. He called out to Haley.

"Hey Hales!"

She didn't say anything but he heard footsteps. He figured she went to her room real quick to take off her shoes before she came back to his voice. He was still watching and started to guffaw when he felt her presence.

"Hey, you have to watch this," Nathan said, turning his head to her. "New fave show, babe. This chick, Chelsea Handler, is fucking hilarious!"

Her pouty look made him frown.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I broke up with Paul," Haley said.

"O-kay. That was the plan, yes?"

"Yes."

"What excuse did you use?"

She sunk her head on the headrest, her forehead thudding on the subtle décor. She groaned and refused to look at him. He sensed what was happening, but tried really hard not to be an asshole.

"The same excuse as always," she said. "That I slept with you."

Nathan maybe counted three seconds before he busted out laughing. She groaned again before slapping her palm on the couch. He continued to laugh, his stomach contracting with each breath he took.

"I'm doomed!"

He finally stopped when he saw the permanent pout. He calmed down enough to gently pull her wrist towards him. Her body followed, climbing over the couch. He closed his eyes at her familiar warmth and he felt her arms snuggle his ribs. Her head rested on his muscular chest, her face away from his. He knew she could hear his heart beat.

"You're not doomed," he said. "Hales, those guys are boys. You're beautiful, driven, smart, and freaking funny as hell, and they can't handle you. They're intimidated by you. But not all of them are. And you're gonna find that dude."

He caressed her hair while he talked and gently moved his hand down to the side of her cheek at the end of his mini-speech. He put a little more force on her cheek and the move coaxed Haley to look at him. Once her chin rested on his sternum, he looked deep in her chocolate eyes.

"You're beautiful, Haley," he said. "That guy is gonna come. And he's gonna be a man who's gonna treat you right. Not a boy who's gonna pee his pants."

She laughed and that's what he wanted. He wanted to see her smile.

"You feel better?" he said.

"Yeah."

"Good." He puckered his lips and she moved the inch for the kiss. It was sweet and chaste. "Haley?"

"Yeah?"

"What would you do without me?"

"I'd die."

"I'm here always."

Her right hand itched towards the left side of chest. He felt her fingers lightly trace the cotton and he desperately wished he decided to be his cocky self and lounge around with no shirt. He wanted to feel her fingers trace his skin but he settled for the hypnotic movements that made his eyes drop to that bedroom lust. She was looking where she was tracing when his eyes slightly lift to meet her stare.

"I'll be here forever," she said.

**End chapter.**

**Hope you liked. Reviews are welcomed. : )**

**CAli**


	2. The History

Each Other's Comfort

**I know a lot of you are confused and you should rightfully be so. I wrote personal responses and those of you who don't have an account, yours is below here. This chapter should clear up everything and if not, I'll be happy to clear/explain/tell funny stories in personal responses to your questions. : ) One thing to keep in mind is that this will be all in Nathan's POV. If you've read Celebrity Crime, you might like the little twist I have in here…**

**Enjoy**

**Rachel – **lol, I'm sorry for the confusion. The first chapter was meant in the ambiguity but you were supposed to have some kind of conclusion – they're not dating. This will be a classic twist of the old cliché: opposite sexes will become lovers. Keep that mind. It's going to be the unofficial theme of the whole story. But this chapter should clear things up.

**Lynne – **Thank you! I know you're probably confused which is meant to be but I'm glad you're not too worried about it. This chapter will explain everything and you'll the get the understanding of their personalities, I think a little bit more…

**Haley – **Thanks! I hope this chapter will bring you back for more. I don't know about you, but I would love it if my male best friend is Nathan in this story…

**Me – **I'm sorry for your confusion. Although it is meant to throw you off and be confusing, there should be a conclusion – they're best friends. It's a different take, I assure you, but this chapter will clear up any questions you had. It's more of a background and a look of personality traits seen by your best friend. I don't about you, but I've learned when your best friend knows all your strengths and flaws, it could be a blessing and a curse…

Ch. 2 – The History

**2:30 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan bopped his head to 105.9 Power 106 hip-hop station as the radio used their sound system like it should. "When I See You" by Fantasia gave a nice steady bass beat that had him grooving while his hands worked his task.

The song transitioned to a true Cali beat and the DJ announced a new "joint" from Cali native E-40 and R&B artist Baby Bash. He felt his hips move with the beat as his hands moved to the pile right next to him. He gripped the fabric on both sides and forcefully slapped his hands down, straightening the jeans against his thighs.

He folded the jeans just as the song transitioned again and he was full-on dancing while moving on to the next piece of clothing.

"Nathan!" Haley said, yelling over the music from the hallway. "Have you seen my black blouse?"

"Did you look down on what's supposed to be your floor?" He said, still bopping to the music and started lip-syncing with the rapper persona of using his hands.

He unconsciously went back to the pile of clothes when Haley walked out to the living room with just black slacks and a red-lace bra. Her black blouse that she was looking for was unbuttoned but on her shoulders. Nathan looked for a brief moment before he looked down at what was in his hands. It was silky and he grinned.

"Ooo la la," he said, weaving the fabric between his fingers. "Discount?"

He watched as she looked up from buttoning her shirt bottom top and gasped. "Give me that, you perv!" She said.

He laughed as she snatched her red thong that was definitely lingerie. She huffed and looked at her left wrist where her delicate white-gold watch was and cursed. He continued to laugh while folding the laundry as she went back to her room. He didn't notice that she tossed her underwear on the IKEA-styled futon.

Nathan continued to get into the DJ mixing while folding Haley's famous baby t-shirts when she came back out fully dressed, stuffing her cell phone in her clutch purse that he got for her birthday.

"Off to work," she said. "Dinner?"

"I'll pick you up," he said, leaning down to her.

She met him half-way with the peck on the lips and turned around to the door. He watched her walk away with her hips slightly swaying and she called over her shoulder.

"Your dancing is awkward!"

He mimicked her in a baby voice and facial features sneered. He continued his dancing.

**2:45 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan continued to do the laundry when he heard a knock at the door. A quick look at the DVR made him smile. He wasn't expecting company but the time let him guess who it was. It wasn't the first time something like this happened.

He just finished flipping his socks over so it was in a huge cotton ball and tossed it in his clean folded pile. He jogged towards the door and grinned when he saw Haley's underwear on the floor. He smirked, deciding to have more fun with the garment.

He opened the door, talking. "Haley, did you forget your house keys again," he said and his smirk dropped. "Paul."

Haley's ex stood maybe five inches shorter and he seemed sheepish that Nathan answered. His hands were made a home in his tan-orange, _tan-orange_, jacket and his loafers shuffled in one place. His shoulders hunched as Nathan stood in doorway just looking.

Nathan accessed the boy. Paul was scrawny, his clothes questionable – a red shirt accompanied the jacket and he wore tweed pants – and his face was so pale with freckles that made Nathan want to play connect-the-dots with a black sharpie. And his personality could use more help than his fashion.

According to Haley, Paul was nice, but he was too clingy. Nathan met him once and could tell from two miles away that Paul was the type to "finish early without starting" in his pants if just a cute girl smiled in his direction in passing. When he said this comment to her, Nathan was rewarded a slap against the head. He kept his opinion of Paul to himself since then.

But Nathan knew him. He never had a girlfriend because of his daddy-issues where he just wanted his father to pay attention to him. He had a lot of insecurities and his mother babied him. He was socially awkward, but a push-over, allowing every girl in his school to let him do their homework. He snorted every time he tried to talk to a girl, which probably attracted Haley with this guy.

He was a lost-cause and Haley felt sorry. She put with him for two weeks before she started to complain. She'd keep it small and passing, but Nathan knew this dude was wearing her patience and just didn't want to admit it. It was inevitable though she was going break up with him. Paul clung to her like a child didn't want to see Santa Clause because he was a great big fat guy with a bushy beard and had a booming voice.

Nathan regarded this one as all the others. Paul – just like all the others – had no backbone. But he was here, which surprised him. None of "Haley's projects" (he called them that – to her face no less) came by the next day. He was curious to why Paul was here. Was it to get Haley back? Or beg her to take him back? But Nathan kept his cool and just stared.

"Nathan," Paul said, straightening his shoulders. "Is Haley here?"

"She left for work about 15 minutes ago."

"Oh. I didn't realize."

"Yeah, she's pretty busy."

Nathan watched as Paul's eyes lingered down to his hands. Paul scoffed angrily. "I'm sure she didn't waste any time."

Nathan looked down at Haley's underwear and he didn't like this boy's tone. So he crossed his arms over his large chest and rolled his shoulders that rose to his neck because of the muscle mass. He took a step forward and invaded Paul's personal space. Nathan watched as Paul subconsciously took a step back.

"Excuse me?" Nathan asked.

"N-nothing." Paul literally started to shrink.

"You know, I'm sorry you got dumped, but that's not my problem. It's not my fault I could be there for her. She needs a man, Paul, not a boy. Maybe if you went to therapy and tried to figure out why your mom has a sick fascination with you being a virgin forever and I don't know, actually pick up a ball and not cringe, maybe Haley would've stuck around."

"I knew something was going on between you two." The boy had courage.

Nathan made sure his teeth were in a snarl and his eyes had murder. He stepped into the hallway outside the door and backed Paul into the wall. His voice was dangerously low.

"Things happened," he said. "If you didn't stress her out with your clinginess, she wouldn't have been in my arms. I was consoling her. I was there for her. I provided what she needed. What she needed was a man emotionally stabled and treated her like a queen. You didn't treat her like a queen, did you, Paul? You paraded her, didn't you? Used her? Used her as a way you could land a hot girl? She's more than that, and it sucks you got hurt, but you had it coming.

"Now, why are you here?"

"Forget it," Paul said, and pushed himself off the wall. "Just forget I even came by."

Nathan glared a hole in Paul's back and didn't leave until Paul disappeared down the landing. He scoffed and walked back into the apartment.

**2:50 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment – Living Room**

Nathan grabbed the unfolded jeans and one swift and slapped it against his thighs hard. He was pissed and it took every ounce of him not to go back out there and pound Paul. How dare he? How dare he insinuate Haley was a slut and cheated on him?

Okay, technically she did with their heavy make-out last night. But kisses didn't count. From the very beginning, he and Haley knew they had a special relationship. And no one could understand their comfort level with each other. People didn't understand they were strictly best friends who occasionally… ventured… into behavior that could be classified as only a man and woman could do if they were in a romantic relationship.

From the age Nathan started thinking of girls as pretty instead of cooties – age 12 – Haley had the same feelings about boys. But she was always outspoken about clichés and whatnot. They were friends from childbirth. They were close as ever. Growing up, it bothered her – and essentially he since he knew Haley was smart therefore everything she said was truth – that everyone assumed they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

She strictly believed that a girl and a boy could be friends and not fall in love. He agreed.

But at age 12, Nathan's father beat him for the first time. The reason was because he missed his 10th straight free-throw. His nose was bleeding and his dad told his mom that Nathan was a little over-zealous in their one-on-one game. He face fell when his dad explained to his mom and his mother noticed. She questioned his dad more while he was excused to the other room. But he guessed his father charmed his way out because when it was time for bed, his father cornered him at the top of the stairs. He squeezed his arm and threatened him in a deadly voice that five finger-tip-sized bruises showed up on his upper arm. High enough on his arm where he could hide the ugly purple/blue shadings.

Nathan wanted to cry himself to sleep, but he didn't want to be in the house. Without thinking he lifted his window and climbed down the garden scale and trekked the half block to Haley's first-floor window that was open. He screamed/whisper her name and begged to climb in. She helped him and with the moon's help, she saw his nose bruised and his arms wrapped around himself.

She held him for too long while he sobbed in her chest, her small breasts squishing against his wet cheek. When he started hiccupping, her soft fingers lifted his chin and she kissed him. It was soft but too dry. She kissed him several times before she laid them down and blindly grabbed her comforter to warm them up. She turned to her side and forced his hands around her stomach, spooning her. He slept peaceful.

The next morning, he confessed it was his first kiss; it was hers too. After a moment's silence, she said encouraging words while stoking his raven hair. He felt so connected to her that leaned into her, his ear listening to her steady heart-beat. He felt better and to lighten the mood, she asked what he'd do without her. With a chuckle but with all seriousness, he said he'd die.

They shared a little laugh and after a moment of silence she said she'd always be there. With his ear still on heart, he looked up and tried to say he was serious without saying it but he'll be here forever.

That was the beginning.

Nathan grabbed Haley's skinny jeans and slapped them against his thighs. He took a deep breath and smiled to himself.

Haley was his life. She was the only one who knew what he went through. Every time he felt like breaking down because of the pressure, she was there to hold him up. And he adored her; protected her. They had an unspeakable bond that they knew people refuse to understand.

After the first time his father hit him and he ran to Haley for comfort, he was petrified hours later when he got home that things were going to be awkward with Haley. That was – is – his worst fear: losing Haley and her friendship. His gnawed his bottom lip that whole day while in his room and twirling his basketball. His father was nowhere in sight, but he was more worried that Haley didn't want to hang out with him because of the kiss. He didn't want to date her or anything. He just wanted her in his life.

Imagine his surprise when his door flew open and Haley waltzed in without a care in the world. She stuck to her normal routine: she flopped on his bed and sighed big before voicing she loved his comfy bed. She held out her hand for a five and Nathan grinned. They chilled for a few minutes before his father made an appearance. Nathan visibly slumped and Dan Scott, in hidden venom-laced tone, asked Haley to leave so could practice. Her response made Nathan claim – even today – that she was his hero.

"Nope," she said. "I can watch."

They never kissed until Nathan's father hit again two weeks later.

From then, the only way they were affectionate with each other was when the other needed comfort. Most of their growing up it was Nathan who needed the physical intimacy because of his issues with his father.

By the time they were in high school, their kisses grew platonic. The only way things got hot and heavy were when things got really bad with his father and he started swinging back. The beatings were reduced when Nathan grew an attitude and could defend himself. But when things got really bad physically, his connection with Haley grew in need. She understood and their relationship progressed to second base.

They were each other's first except for sex. The summer before junior year, the boys' varsity team threw a beach party. Too much alcohol assumption led him and Haley to a bedroom, giggling like idiots. They had no idea how far they were going but they were all over each other the more they drank. The last straw for Nathan that night was when Haley skinny-dipped off the pier. Both drenched and making words up, their kisses were sloppy as Nathan tackled her into the twin bed. It creaked under both their weights as his tongue trailed down her neck. His tongue felt swollen but her moans were driving him on.

His mouth reached down between her legs and he took a swift lick that he saw a guy do to a blond in porn. He hit a particular spot where she went wild and he continued until he felt pain in his scalp. He didn't have time to complain at the sharp pain where she pulled because he fell on the floor. She sat up laughing as he joined in too. She apologized, saying she was trying to pull him up to return the favor. She licked her lips and helped him up back on the bed. They fumbled with his wet jeans. Once loose, she licked her lips again and opened her mouth wide.

Out of every stupid thing they ever did, Haley was only embarrassed about that. It still brings a smile to his face every time she talks about, her face red from laughing too hard and embarrassment of their drunken hook-up.

Junior year of high school was when they both had steady relationships. They lost their virginity to their significant others, dated them until the end of high school. They weren't jealous of each other, much to his surprise. He'd thought he'd hate any guy who looked at Haley wrong. It wasn't because he's been with her in every physical and emotional way, but because Haley was special and it was gonna take a hell of a guy to be with her. The same was for Haley. Nathan was special and it was gonna take a hell of a girl to be with him. Neither of them thought Antwan or Bevin could do it, but they did. And best of all, they weren't jealous of the friendship Nathan and Haley had.

But neither he nor Haley told Antwan or Bevin about the physical aspect of their friendship. None of their friends knew. They didn't understand that their friendship was literally something special and kissing each other didn't mean anything except of a term of endearment. Their special connection was only acted in privacy and between each other when the other needed comfort.

The first time they slept together was in college. They didn't try long distance with their high school romance but remained friendly. Freshmen year, Antwan and Bevin came out to Los Angles for a visit. The four of them went out and courtesy of Nathan's team they became obliterated drunk before midnight. Antwan and Bevin stayed at the party and last Nathan saw over his shoulder as Haley dragged him out of the house was Antwan and Bevin's tongues battling for dominance. It didn't bother him as much as he thought.

That night, they stumbled in the apartment laughing about Antwan and Bevin. Haley tripped into the wall in their foyer and caught her but accidently rubbed against her and pinned her against the wall. Her cackling laugh echoed the foyer and he gave an unattractive snort. When she took a deep breath and turned her head, something changed in her eyes.

He noticed the closeness of their position. His body practically on hers, his mouth literally inches from hers. The chocolate eyes looked black with desire. She laughed again, but it sounded more like a nervous breath and she licked her lips. His right hand went from the wall to cup her neck and leaned down.

The kiss was stronger than all the others. They've experienced with their tongues before but nothing like this. His tongue swirled her mouth as she gave in, her hands going straight to his waist, under his shirt, and racked up along his ribs, giving him goosebumps. He started using his teeth against her lips, lightly tugging before using his tongue to smooth it over. His wet lips put enough pressure on her mouth to have her mewing and subconsciously grinding into him.

He picked her up and took her to his bedroom. It was the first time not using protection and she explained to him the next morning that she was on the pill. He rocked into her roughly but his strokes were gently half-way. When she clawed his back for more, his instincts took over and his dick fought against her squeezing walls to hit that spot deeper. His hands were all over her body and he silenced her loud moans with sensual kisses. The harsh breathing from him continued to get sharper as he went in a frenzied pace, his knee easing her leg up straight in the air. Her walls squeezed almost painfully beautiful and liquid trailing on his dick. With a grunt, he came and after a few harsh minutes, he pulled out and pulled her body close to his.

Since then, the best word to describe the sex was… casual. In all honesty, he thought three years ago, something will change and Haley will question, bringing back the irrational anxiety that his worst fear will come true. But Haley sat him down that morning and admitted the new development was weird but she was okay. He felt lighter when she said it and the passing months after they first slept together made their friendship even stronger. Nothing was weird between them.

The sex wasn't an every day thing. They didn't use sex to comfort each other; that is what the kisses are for. Sex only happened when it was natural. Their casual kisses will sometimes turn into more. Sex was when they got drunk to the point of no return. Sex was when one of them was in a dry spell. Sex was something different for them. It wasn't an emotional connection like their kisses.

Nathan finally finished the laundry. He was surprised how distracted he was thinking about his history with Haley. She wasn't a slut. Paul just couldn't do it for her. He always said Haley was something special. And Paul wasn't even in the same caliber. If he ever saw Paul again, Haley was gonna have to bail him out of jail.

**9:00 p.m. – Westfield West Covina Mall – Victoria's Secret**

Nathan showed up at the entrance and found Haley going through lacy lingerie while dancing a little to the girlicious poppy sounds the store called music. He just about walked in when another girl flitted around Haley and booty-bumped her. Her brunette hair was just past her shoulders and silky with a little side bang. From where he stood, he knew it was Brooke Davis, Haley's co-worker and sex-on-a-stick.

Once upon a time, Nathan considered Brooke. But when he got to know her, she was way wild and crazy. She flirted with anyone who was easy on the eyes and especially if they had a dick. But Haley said she had a heart of gold so he put up with her. Haley's judgment on girls he trusted; on boys, not so much.

From his point-of-view, Brooke was leaning her forearms on the tiny open-holed cabinets the store used to display the underwear. She was leisure. She watched as Haley separated the underwear. She seemed perfectly content letting Haley do all the work. Nathan rolled his eyes a little.

When Haley went to move to the other side of the display, Nathan took advantage. Her back was to him, so knowing she had no idea, he entered the store and detoured to a little corner and he pretended to admire the silk bodice hanging on the wall. He was close enough to eavesdrop his roommate.

He knew they were gonna talk. Brooke Davis loved gossip like it was her first love. It probably is. He knew Brooke followed Haley and resumed her position. He saw from the corner of his eye that while Haley had an amused smirk on her face as Brooke talked, it looked like she was trying to seduce Haley. Her work attire was heightened; while Haley's black slacks and black blouse and headphone set was on her moderately, oozing the professionalism that Victoria's Secret required of their employees. Brooke was not the case.

As Brooke walked with Haley 30 seconds earlier, Nathan could tell her black slacks were a little loose and hung snug on her hips which gave a perfect dip to the promise land. He saw lace briefly as she walked and he wondered for a millisecond if she and Haley traded tips on wearing sexy underwear. And now, from his point-of-view Brooke had unbuttoned a few to show off her pale skin and the beginnings of banging cleavage. Her arms leaning against the display emphasized her chest and Nathan wasn't a man if he didn't check her out.

But then Brooke reclined upwards, her low raspy voice could be heard over the music, which seemed impossible. Her fingers lightly trailed his roommate's arm as her chin rested on Haley's shoulder. He smirked at her topic.

"So when is your hottie coming?" Brooke said.

"My hottie?" Haley said, with amusement in her voice.

"Your roommate you're totally fucking."

"_Nathan_ is my best friend and should be here any minute for dinner."

"Come on, don't be a party-pooper on the gossip. Give me the deets. He has to be good in bed. Is he a biter? He looks like a biter."

Nathan smirked. "Ew," Haley said.

"Come on! You have to know."

"I have no idea if he's a biter," he was. "Wanna know why Brooke? Because I grew up with the boy."

"The more reason you would know."

"Just because we're best friends doesn't mean we're hooking up and we're meant to be. Not every relationship is a cliché. I know him better than anyone else. We're close, that's it."

"You broke up with Paul, didn't you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with him." Brooke said, nodding ahead.

Nathan decided to make his presence known. He walked in casually and went straight to Haley. He had his sexy smirk going on and his eyes smiled at Haley. She smiled back bashfully.

"Hello, lover," Brooke said.

"Brooke I think you have me confused with another dark-haired blue-eyed man. I would never sleep with you," he said.

"And why is that? I can give a wild ride."

He shrugged. "I like relationships."

Haley ooo'ed and laughed when Brooke glared at her. Nathan shrugged his shoulders and winked.

"Ready?" The comment directed at his roommate.

"Yep. I'm off."

Haley pecked Brooke on the cheek as she took off her headphones and started to walk to the back. He watched her go and he felt something heating his side of his face. He shifted his head to find Brooke glaring; her eyes full intent on studying him. He kept her stare but stayed silent.

**9:10 p.m. West Covina Mall - Food Court**

"So Paul stopped by." Nathan said, opening his mouth wide for the forkful of delicious pork and rice.

His eyes moved up to Haley across from him who was frowning while she slurping her Chinese noodles. She licked her lips as she chewed. He kept busy by looking down at his food as he scooped another small serving of deliciousness.

"That's new," she said. Nathan looked up just in time to see her gulp her orange soda she's obsessed with before going back to her food. "What did he want?"

"He wanted to see you. He came about 15 minutes after you left. Saw your underwear in my hand."

"Why was my underwear in your hand?"

"Because it was on the floor in the living room and I thought it was you when I opened the door. Wanted an opportunity to embarrass you again but instead I got the White Urkel. Anyway, he insinuated you were slut and took everything in me not to fuck him over. You're welcome."

He finished his explanation with a big gulp of fried rice and sweet and sour pork. Haley continued to watch him and he knew she was pondering something. He didn't like it. He expected her to laugh or roll her eyes at his explanation, not be deep in thought.

"He's right in a way."

"You're not a slut, Haley." He said it quickly and firmly. His appetite was suddenly lost.

"Come on, Nathan, I treated him badly. Led him on. Technically, I did cheat on him with you."

"Kisses don't count with us."

"I'm just saying. I don't blame him for thinking that. I just don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong. It's him and all the others. They were _boys_, Hales. They weren't men and they couldn't handle it. If anything, they treated you wrong. For once, a hot girl is interested in them without it being a bet or ulterior motive and what do they do? They show you off like the next generation's light saber. They treated you like an object, not a woman – a human being.

"You did them a favor and that's how they repay you? It's them with the problem, not you."

"Then how come they have broken hearts?"

"Because they couldn't handle it. It's their own damn fault."

"Nathan, that makes no sense!" She did the hand-quotes. "I 'cheated' on them with a more masculine man. I destroyed their self-confidence, just when I was building it up for them. Face it, I'm a bitch."

"You're not a bitch!"

"I am! You know this quest seemed like a good idea when I told you months ago. But all I'm attracting is these 'boys' as you put it and all I'm doing is building them up and bring them down. I don't think I'll ever find love."

"Hey," he dropped his plastic fork and grabbed her hand. "You will find love. You know what your problem is?"

She waited for him to say it expectantly. Her bored expression told him as much.

"You're too nice." She mouthed it with him and rolled her eyes. "Hey, don't roll your eyes at me. I mean it, you're too nice. You think a nice guy is gonna give you everything you want in love? Maybe, but a nerd who has never had the attention you give them would never know how to handle that.

"You see problems and you want to fix it. You feel sorry for them. So the good person that you are, you help them. You're generally interested and you try with them. But if they want to keep someone as amazing as you, they're gonna have to learn to treat with respect and they don't even know what the word means.

"They want a woman to love them and be with every flaw they better know what fucking respect is."

He took some calming breaths before he bit into his food again. Haley followed his movements. He stopped chewing and took a drink from his cup before using his fork as a pointer. She continued to eat but looked up every few seconds watching him, letting him know she was listening.

"You may look like the bad guy in this, Hales, but you're not. They are. You're gonna find love. And what's the rush? You're only 22. Enjoy it while you're young."

She nodded.

"Look, maybe you should stop trying so hard. You're gonna have your family. Don't believe the bullshit we're surrounded by. You don't need a family by the time you're 25. Just let love come to you."

"Maybe you're right," she said after swallowing her food.

"I'm always fucking right."

She rolled her eyes at his cockiness and smiled. There was his girl. He reclined back and stretched his arms a little. He rested his hands on the back of his head. He took a few minutes to study her. She wasn't feeling bad anymore. She had a small smile on her face and all the worry vanished from her eyes. He decided it was time to keep it light but serious at the same time.

"Hey," he said, as he reclined back and took her hand.

"Hey."

"Feel better?"

"Yeah."

"Hey."

"Yeah?" She laughed.

"What would you do without me?"

"I'd die." Her smile was serene.

"I'm here always."

She took her hand away from his and pointed at the left side of his chest. "I'll be here forever."

He couldn't wait to kiss her when they got home.

**End chapter**

**Confusion gone? Reviews are welcomed. : )**

**CAli**


	3. The Tradition

Each Other's Comfort

**Heh. Sorry for the lateness. I will admit I had a little writer's block on this chapter and It Never Seems. With all the hard-work I was doing last semester in college, I kinda lost my motivation to write since the majority of my time was spent on production projects. But I'm back! This is mostly a filler chapter. I tried not to make it too cheesy but it will probably have you go "aww!" And since it's not in my nature to be all mushy there is some foreshadow and character development, but it's up to you to find it. lol. If any of you are reading It Never Seems, I do have outlines, I just don't know when it's going to come together and how it's going to answer some questions in my own cryptic way. lol. Personal responses with spoilers (hints) will be written soon so stay tuned. Hope this let you forgive me...**

**C - Thanks for enjoying! Hope this chapter develops more and keeps you interested!  
**

**CAli**

Ch. 3 – The Tradition

**5:00 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"Hey, Nathan."

"Hey, Haley." Nathan said in the same tone.

He just got back from a grueling practice. All he wanted to do was relax in their living room. All he wanted was just him, their reliable comfy couch and the DVR of SportsCenter. But the tone of his roommate warned him he wasn't gonna get what he wanted. Well, he was, but he was gonna have to break her heart.

She jumped over the coach and landed comfortably on his stomach. It wasn't comfortable for him, though. The loud oomph proved his abs weren't as strong as people thought, but she didn't care. Haley never cared. It was her affectionate way of proving he wasn't untouchable as he liked to brag to their friends.

He adjusted his back to accommodate the 120 pounds on his stomach and he made sure she knew his displeasurement. Again, Haley acted and looked like she didn't care. He opened his eyes to find Haley dressed a little undressed. He frowned a little.

Haley wasn't exactly an exhibitionist. She had a great body and he always encouraged her to show it off a little but she always preferred her baby tees and jeans that showed off a little bit of lower back and abdomen cleavage. In fact, the only time Haley showed enough skin was when she was encouraged by good friends Belvedere and Captain Morgan Long Island Ice Tea.

So imagine his surprise when he saw Haley dressed in one of his dress shirts with the buttons undone to her sternum and no pants whatsoever. He only had one conclusion.

"Have you been drinking?" He asked.

"No. Why?"

"Look at what you're wearing."

She looked down like she had no idea. "Oh." His eyebrows shot up. Let's just say Haley's talents should stay in music. She knew what she was doing, he knew. Her feening innocence (especially when it came to him) just sucked.

"It's your old dress shirt from high school. You've outgrown the thing so I didn't you would mind? Do you?" She looked at him when she said this and only he knew the mischief in her eyes.

"Do I look gay?" He asked.

"Anyway, I'm wearing boy shorts. Trust me, it has everything to do with what I'm about to show you."

He finally noticed the cell phone in her hands. She cradled it like it was her baby and he raised his eyebrows more in amusement. "Oh?"

"I changed your ring tone." She sounded deliriously giddy.

"Really."

"Call me."

"Hales, I really wanna relax and watch SportsCenter."

"Call me!"

"Fine! Jeez! Pushy!"

He lifts his hips to get to his cell phone in his shorts' pockets. He feels her wiggle her ass playfully at his movements and he gives her a mock glare. He sighs dramatically as he scrolls down his contacts and presses the call button when he gets to her name. He makes a funny face when the ringing echoes to his ear.

I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts!

He doesn't know whether to laugh out of amusement or be highly offended to be associated with such a gay song. But she laughs her beautiful laugh and he goes with the former.

She slips off of him and he groans at the sudden movement but he sits up to watch her. She walks down the hallway, her cell phone playing Right Said Fred's hit wonder on their coffee table and struts with sexy purpose like a model.

He can tell her hips are swaying even though her lower back is concealed. The annoying melody is going as he hears the cotton tear. His eyes widen as she walks back, his old shirt torn and hanging from her shoulders. The only thing visible was a purple bra that Nathan knew she had to get a discount from work and matching boy shorts.

The color was great on her skin.

Her hair was down, a rare style she uses. She teases the honey blonde locks with her fingers. Her whole face is oozing with sexiness, as she channels a supermodel. Her swagger gives this ferocious appeal that captures him mid-drool.

He's never been so turned on in his life.

At the end of the hallway she flips her hair in time with the melody on her cell phone and ends with a look-at-me pose.

She laughs and twirls and jumps on the over side of couch. He joins in on her affectious laughter.

"What has gotten into you?" He asked.

She shrugs. "I felt playful. And the song reminds me of you."

"I remind you of a gay man?"

"Shut up. No, you're too sexy for a shirt. You're like a model. A hot, Abercrombie and Fitch model."

"Okay, you've been hanging out with Brooke too much. I'm gonna need you to stop."

"You didn't get the whole point in that, did you?"

He suddenly feels like he was supposed to remember something between them. He feels like a jack-ass for obviously letting her down. But what the hell was he supposed to remember?

"The point was to make me take a cold shower?"

"Was I not singing along?" See, she was nice. She ignored his dig.

Singing. Oh, shit.

"Fuck, Hales," he said, groaning. He slaps his hands to his face. "I totally forgot."

"You've been working hard, I understand. But you're breaking tradition."

"I know!" He felt terrible.

"Hey, you're not breaking my heart. You're breaking hers."

"Next time. I swear."

She nodded sympathetically. "I'll make her understand this time. But I don't know how much she can take."

"I'll do better. I promise."

"I know you will. She knows you care."

All he could do was groan. He reclined back in his self-pity. He was so busy he forgot. He never forgets! And it seems like this semester he's been forgetting a lot which he knows has been breaking her heart. She looked up to him and every time he had to call and apologize he could hear disappoint grow in her voice. He hated it, but he just seemed to keep forgetting. Ugh! He's such a jack-ass.

He guessed Haley could tell his personal verbal bitch-slapping. So she climbed across his body and hugged him as tight as she could, and squeeze with all her might. Again, the amusement of a 120-pound Haley being stronger than his 210-pound self brought him out of his despair. He chuckles and squeezes her back.

He opens his eyes to see her staring back. They stay in the moment. She moves up, her elbows digging into the cushion as she uses the leverage to scoot forward. Her lips are already puckered. He reciprocates. There was no tongue, but it was sweet as ever. Nathan didn't want it to end.

She giggles. "What would you do without me?"

"I'd die."

"Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm here always."

His hand trails down and stops at the top of her left breast; not in a perverted way, but sensual. "I'll be here forever."

**5:00 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

He had everything set up. Haley was in the kitchen. He had no idea exactly what she was doing, but it was enough distraction for her not to look in the living room, which was basically connected to the kitchen.

He was in his room getting ready. It didn't take much. He made everything look sexy. He adjusted the collar of the pale blue shirt in his mirror and smirked at his sexiness. He even turned his head to a tight angle and even pursued his lips like a male model. Haley was right. Fuck basketball, he should've been an Abercrombie & Fitch model.

It's been a week since Haley's innovative way of reminding him he was a jack-ass. She certainly forgot all about her performance, as she never mentioned it. But it could also be the fact she has been burying herself in the studio re-doing her project. The girl is sometimes too much of a perfectionist.

Shaking off his concern of her working herself to death, he looked at his mirror again. God damn, he was hot! He rolled his shoulder a little bit and basked in his physical appeal. His hair a silky black with tiny spikes poked in every direction and his eyes were as blue as a tropical postcard of a Caribbean beach. He looked over his shoulder to his clock next to his queen bed. The computer should be going live now.

He opened his door to find Haley still in the kitchen. She was washing the dishes and humming to herself. He smirked, knowing scaring her was going to earn him a smack. It was so going to be worth it.

He went to the same stand that held his clock and pressed play on the IPod dock. The '90s tune blared and Nathan ran to his door. It was time to channel Tom Cruise.

He slid into the kitchen and grabbed Haley by the waist. She yelped at the sudden downward movement and he knew she slightly panicked at the movement.

He felt her grip loosen on his dress shirt when he squeezed her sides. There was no way he was going to drop her in his iron grip. She laughed and he heard the nervousness and apprehension in the noise. He smirked. He successfully surprised her.

"I'm too sexy, too sexy for my shirt!" He said, mimicking Right Said Fred that blared from his room.

He moved Haley to an upright position and she grabbed the counter out of instinct since her equilibrium was altered. He made sure she was okay before doing his version of the moon-walk to put some space between them. His back was to the stove as he did his best Elvis personation swinging his hips with a goofy smile on his face. He knew he looked ridiculous. Combining his appearance of nothing but a dress shirt and tube socks on, mimicking dance moves from the '50s to the pop '80s and singing a pop '90s song, he was beyond his swagger cool. But he didn't care. It was all for his girls.

He pursed his lips to make himself look pouty and he knew Haley couldn't take it anymore. Before, she was just giggling and giving him a look that said "I have no idea what's going on, but this is funny," to flat-out laughing, bending-over-holding-her-ribs. He stopped momentarily when she was able to question him.

"What are you doing?" She said.

"Did you forget?" He swung his arms in a wide semi-circle before dropping down to the splits. Well, half his leg bent while the other stretched up and came back up. He struggled a bit with the coming-back-up part.

She had no shame laughing at his attempt. "It's been a week!" He said, panting a little bit. He needed to save his energy.

Comprehension dawned and he watched as her face brightened. Her eyes lit up to a light brown where the fluorescent light in their kitchen managed to bring out the green in her eyes and her smile made his heart stutter for a second.

"No way!" She said.

He nodded towards the living room. "Set up in the living room. She should be on."

She forgot to turn off the water and she scrambled out of their kitchen. Her hip bumped into the corner of the wall as she quickly turned left to sprint in the living room but she didn't yelp. He grinned and silently patted himself on the back for making her happy. He turned off the water and jogged to meet her.

He'd be an idiot if he denied he wasn't as giddy as her.

"Nathan, is this thing on?" Haley said, yelling accidently right in his ear.

"Ow. Yes, Hales, it should," he said, adjusting their webcam so the both of them were in the frame. "Calling all lilies, calling all lilies, we need lilies."

A beep sounded and a little girl appeared on half their screen. Her dirty-blond hair framed a roundish-square face that centered and bright blue-green eyes brightened the LCD screen. She smiled big and revealed her two front teeth gone.

"Forget lilies, what's up Snaggle-tooth?" Nathan said, laughing.

Haley hit him lightly. "Nathan, you looked exactly the same at her age."

His half-sister, Lily, laughed and her grin grew wider. "I think it gives me charm," she said in her eight-year-old-I'm-smarter-than-you voice. "Are we ready?"

"Waiting on your other brother."

"Well, Nathan call Lucas!"

"Me?" Nathan asked. "Why can't Hales? Or better yet, how about you since you asked?"

"Because," Lily said. "You started the whole thing."

Nathan gave a tight-lipped smile at the girl's logic. He never dared admit it to her because even though his sister had the southern-girl-next-door charm, she had the confidence of a Scott. And like a Scott, Nathan was too hard-headed to admit he got outsmarted by a girl.

Another beep sounded and soon enough Lucas, along with Peyton appeared on the lower corner of the laptop. Nathan watched as Lucas fiddled with the camera for a little bit until Peyton slapped his hand and fussed the camera was fine. Nathan smirked at the scene because the same thing happened earlier minus Haley committing abuse.

"All right, I'm here," Lucas said, his voice booming over the speakers. "We can finally start this party!"

"You're such a diva, Lucas," Nathan said. Lily voiced her agreement.

"Hey, it's not my fault some things take perfection," Nathan turned slightly as Haley scoffed and rolled her eyes. The comment was arrogant enough, but Lucas' smirk gave away the seriousness.

"Please," Peyton said. "He was too busy cooing over Sawyer. That's why we were late."

"Such a girl," Lily said.

"He's a newborn father," Haley said with awe. Nathan smiled softly at her ability to melt when it came to babies. "He's allowed to be a diva now."

"Thanks, Hales. You've earned the right to baby-sit," Lucas said.

Everyone laughed as Haley gave him a playful glare. "Don't push it."

"All right, are we ready to do this?" Nathan said, grinning at all the banter.

"Yeah," Lily said, her excitement showing in her bouncing. "Nathan what song?"

"Got it ready in my room. Be right back."

Nathan jogged as fast as he could and hoped his siblings didn't see his pants-less legs but the in distant giggles let him know he was caught. He didn't care though, as he laughed at his own goofiness. He got to his room and scrolled on his IPod until he got the song he wanted. He turned up the volume five clicks just to be sure it was heard.

Da na na na, na na. Da na na na, na na.

The familiar '80s funk beat started from the speakers in Nathan's room, but Nathan clicked a button in his room and the beat was giving the bass system in the living room a work-out. "Super Freak" by Rick James blared everywhere in the apartment. Nathan pulled on some blue jeans and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal himself shirtless.

He came back in time to see Haley dancing doing the swim dance with her eyes. She looked down at the laptop to see Lily doing the same thing while bouncing around in crazy circles. Lucas and Peyton were dancing with 70's disco-styled moves. All three parties were singing loudly with the popular 80's hit. Nathan joined in the fun as he slid behind Haley and continued in sync with her movements. He felt his hips moving wildly and for a minute he silently thought he was channeling Elvis Pressley. He was doing ridiculous moves and he looked down to see his brother trying some locking and popping moves but failed miserably. He laughed and his smile grew wider as he cheered Haley and Peyton for their moves. He watched as his sister bopped her head excessively like she was in a club and he found the move creative and did the move himself. Soon enough, everyone was bopping their head side-to-side.

At the chorus, Haley told Lily and Peyton to sing with her. Haley did a close-up on the camera and puckered her lips as she sang the chorus better Rick James. The other two girls followed Haley's moves and did the same. Nathan looked at Lucas to find he was swaying in the background looking at Peyton with love. He smiled softly at the sight before Haley pulled back and started doing the running-man. Nathan joined in and looked to see Lucas doing the same with Peyton only they had a dutch twist to it, stepping back two steps and stepping forward before tapping the sides of their shoes. Nathan just did the running-man behind Haley as they were in sync. Haley laughed and he looked to see what she found funny and he guffawed at his sister doing the reject.

For three minutes, Nathan and Haley danced the popular dances they grew up with while his brother was in San Francisco with his wife and his kid sister in North Carolina wildly giggling in her bedroom. They sang loudly and sometimes off key. It was always a tradition for them. And he loved every minute of it.

The song ended and they all panted their exhaustion while giggling. Nathan smiled at his family. Nathan and Lucas were blood brothers, raised by the same bastard father. Lucas was older by five years. Dirty-blond and blue-green eyes, Lily looked the most like him but he had the quiet intellect that Nathan lacked. He was the basketball star and dealt with the same abuse Nathan had with their father. The difference was Lucas moved out when he was 17, emancipated because he was smart and did his homework. Lucas proved he could provide himself while a senior in high school and walked away from his father, not his family. He kept in touch with Nathan and even helped fight physical battles when Nathan couldn't hide the bruises quite as easily anymore. Nathan and Lucas were close as ever, including Haley who looked at Lucas for the longest time as an angel for helping protect Nathan.

Peyton came in the picture in high school for Lucas. They were together since then. Peyton was an artist and music producer; Haley's mentor. She was the older sister that beat-up on Nathan and gave girl-talk to Haley when the boys wanted their time. For the longest time for Nathan, it was just the four of them as a family. When he and Haley were seniors in high school Lucas and Peyton moved to San Francisco. It was the perfect art scene for Peyton and a great atmosphere for Lucas' writing. Nathan understood, but he felt a little anxiety to be separated from his brother for a year. It was the first time any of them were separated.

Lily was a surprise but a welcome. Nathan's mother finally had the courage to leave her husband nine years ago. Nathan didn't want to know the details, but shortly after the separation his mother, Karen got pregnant. When Lily was born, she looked so much like Lucas but she definitely had Nathan's personality. When Nathan laid eyes on his baby sister, his breath caught. Nathan remembered looking up and making eye-contact with his brother. A silent agreement was made. Dan Scott was never going anywhere near their sister. After Lily was born, Karen decided to go back to school. There, she met her husband now, but at the time her Australian business professor, Andy.

When Lucas left, he came up with a way to keep in touch with each other. Lily loved to sing karaoke so Lucas purchased laptops for Nathan and Lily with webcams. Lucas said live karaoke. So the day Lucas and Peyton left was a sad day but a couple days later Lucas set up the time for the live chat and every week for five years the three of them, plus Haley and Peyton, did live karaoke.

"That was so much fun!" Lily said, gushing.

Nathan smiled. "Glad you liked it, Snaggle." He said.

**6:30 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

After the good-byes and a strict promise Nathan made to Lily about never ever standing her up again under no circumstances, he took his laptop back to his room and disconnected the sound system before another noise complaint was issued. Haley disappeared to the study to work on her project and Nathan was free to watch his daily ESPN.

Sometimes he didn't believe how lucky he was. Sometimes he felt overwhelmed by how much his family loved him. He had a supportive mother, a brother who'd go through heaven and hell and swim the seven seas for him and a baby sister that could make all the evil go away with just a simple smile. He missed them dearly and today was just a simple reminder of the better things in life.

He had a reminiscent smirk on his face when he felt a warm body cuddle into mid-section. He looked down and smiled fondly of Haley cuddling him and she released a content sigh. He never realized how much he zoned out when he realized SportsCenter was focused on football now instead of basketball.

"Are you done?" He asked Haley in reference to her music project.

"As much as my brain will allow," she said.

"Good. You work too much."

"As opposed to you? Mr. I-need-to-work-out-three-hours-a-day-five-days-a-week."

"That's different," he said, and kissed the top of her hair. "I'm working out my body. You're over-working your brain and creative juices."

"You're such a dork!"

He mocked being hurt when she slapped his abs. He flinched and they shared a laugh before Nathan pulled her back into him. They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Nathan started to smile again. He thought he was smiling to himself before he felt a nudge to his ribs.

"What?" He said.

"You're happy."

"Yeah. You're here."

"No, doofus. You missed Lily."

"I always miss Lily."

"You have your reminiscent smile on."

"So?"

"So. You almost forgot the simple things in life, didn't you? That's why you're smiling. You're able to recognize family is more important than just basketball. That's what makes you different from Dan."

He stayed quiet. The warmth of her body kept him calm so he started to rub subtle circles on her left arm.

"I know what he said last week is still bothering you," Haley said. "Your family will always be here. Today was a good reminder, right?"

Then there was Haley. His best friend since he was a kid. She knew him better than himself. She always knew what he was thinking when it came to his insecurities and always, always had him thinking he was better than he thought. She was always there. She was family too.

"I miss my family," he said. "But you're my family too. You always know what's right for me."

She smiled and he felt adoration. She looked up at him before closing her eyes and snuggled into his chest.

"What would you do without me?"

"I'd die."

"I'm here always."

He was for sure her ear could hear the steady beats in his chest speed up slightly.

"I'll be here forever," he said, his hand drifting to the top left side of her chest.

**Can't you see the cheesiness?**

**CAli**


	4. The Club

Each Other's Comfort

**Terribly sorry for the delay. But you want to hear good news? I graduated college! So I'm looking for a full time job and while doing that I have conspicuous time to write also. I will be better. Hope this helps since we're starting to delve into some real plot here. Don't hate the cliffhanger…**

**CAli**

Ch. 4 – The Club

**3 p.m. – Victoria's Secret**

"Why am I here again?" Nathan said, or all about whined.

"Because you fucking love me," Haley said as she browsed some new underwear. She'd seen it all before at her work, but for some reason shopping for it seemed like it was sexy, and not inventory.

"I'll always love you, Hales," he said. "But why am I even looking at lingerie that won't even fit me?"

"Are you coming out?"

"You're fucking hilarious." There was no humor in his voice.

They were at another mall and Nathan's class was cancelled. All he wanted to do when he got home was relax and watch some SportsCenter. But Haley ambushed him with a day off and an urge to go shopping.

He resisted once. That earned him poutiness for a week and him fending for himself in the kitchen because Haley conveniently had to work the night shift and couldn't prepare dinner and his credit card was missing for that amount of time.

He knew better now. If she wanted to go shopping, he could forget relaxing plans. But that didn't mean he couldn't complain. And he took every opportunity to complain. But it still didn't affect her.

He hated her for that.

He watched Haley browse every two-piece lingerie design. He wondered if she found someone and just forgot to tell him since practices were starting two-a-days and she was becoming compulsive-obsessive with her music project.

"Is this a special occasion?" He asked.

"Nope. Other than more confidence in my body."

My god, girls were weird. Including Haley. There was nothing wrong with her body and she liked to shop in a different Victoria's Secret store. It was like she didn't want anyone to know what she was doing.

"You're perfect, Hales. And why am I here? Don't you have Brooke for lingerie shopping?"

"Brooke's working. Keep complaining and you'll never see these clothes on me."

"Is that a promise?"

Her cell phone interrupted her retort and she snorted when she saw her caller I.D.

"Hey, Babs," Nathan heard Brooke's voice over Haley's cell phone. He did an eye-roll. Yeah, she was working all right. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Uh, I'm supposed to be shopping. Like how you're supposed to be working." Haley said as she moved to another mannequin and Nathan dutifully followed.

"Sounds like super fun. And I am working. You know old man sceetz is on shift. All I have to do is flash a lil nip and I could do whatever I want. You know it's weird without you here."

"Oh, everybody loves me Brooke."

"You bet your sweet ass. I swear, if you just let loose once and have some of my killer jello shots I can love you, baby, I can love you long time."

Oh, God, that sick laughter. Nathan cringed. Brooke was a bad influence. He had to keep an eye on how much she and Haley hung out. Haley seemed to enjoy the disgusting, yet hot (if he let go of his protective side) innuendo and he frowned a little. How much did his Haley and Brooke hang out without his knowledge?

Her laughter flitted through his thinking and he noticed she was walking away from him a little bit. He widened his strides a little to catch up and eavesdrop more.

"Why are you calling, Brooke?" Too bad Haley's voice showed her smile. Damn it.

"Clubbing, Friday? I met a super hottie briefly and apparently his friend is a hot shot artist. Wants to meet us. Or me, specifically, but you know how I am. Strength in numbers."

"You mean strength in numbers until he expresses an interest in your boobs or ass then it dwindles to awkward situation."

"Then bring Nathan. I know he's your back-up fuck buddy."

Hoe said what, now?

She caught his face, which showed his line of thinking and she glared in her be-nice way.

"Nathan is my best friend. He's not a back-up fuck buddy."

"Then he needs to be your back-up fuck buddy! He is way too hot to be just your best friend and Babs, there is sexual tension. Like, for real."

"I'm not a back-up!" So he was weak when it came to his manhood. Sue him. He's a guy.

"Nathan's there?" Brooke said, and Nathan had to cringe at the octave he heard.

"Nathan's here," Haley said, sighing.

"Shopping? With you? He's totally whipped!"

"I'm not whipped!" Nathan said.

"Shut up," Haley said empathetically to him. "Off topic, Brooke."

"My b," Brooke said. "Seriously, Haley. Strength in numbers. Bring Nathan."

Haley hesitated for a moment and elongated her response while she looked at him. Nathan had pride, but he also had desperation. He jumped up and down, moved his hands in small, safe baseball gesture and mouthed NO.

But Haley never listened to him when she wanted to do something.

"Sure, Brooke," she said. "We'll go. Text me later in the week of the club and addy."

"Will do. Love ya Babs."

He'd definitely need to monitor her friendship with Brooke more closely now.

"I hate you," he said.

"Oh, come on, it could be fun!"

"You know I hate clubs."

"Well, if you actually danced with other girls besides me, you wouldn't be jealous."

"Uh, I don't get jealous."

"Then at the club, I dare you to dance with someone besides me and Brooke."

"Please, I wouldn't touch that hoe with a ten-foot pole."

She sighed. "Would you be nice? She's actually really cool."

"Hoe is cool now?"

"Nathan."

"All right, fine. She just oozes of sex, I mean, that's just gross. Whatever happened to subtlety?"

"Aw, chivalry isn't dead with you."

"Only with you."

"Well, at least I'm always here."

"And I'll be here forever."

They didn't hear an old couple a few feet away at the entrance coo while they witnessed their fond smiles.

**9 p.m. – Haley and Nathan's Apartment**

"Nathan, hurry up! For someone who didn't want to go, you're taking your sweet-ass time making yourself look presentable!" Haley said, yelling in the hallway.

"Shut up, Haley! You can't rush perfection!"

Haley frowned and mouthed the last words Nathan said. God, he was such a dork. She huffed from the couch in the living room she was on and got up. She rolled her eyes as she stride towards the bathroom and she stopped at the threshold and stared.

Nathan had on a nice striped maroon dress shirt and impeccable business pants with shiny black shoes. His raven hair was slightly mussed that made tiny spikes all over his head and he was putting on dabs of after-shave on his jaw line.

She caught by surprise because she expected him to treat this like a joke. She expected that god-awful, bright red shirt with a black cotton pattern that was supposed to be shaped like a cross and some sort of Celtic symbols surrounding it to "amplify" the cross that her ex, Skills bought Nathan for Christmas. The shirt was "in style" and supposed to show how "gangsta" Nathan was. That's how Skills described it, and she absolutely hated that shirt. If Nathan wasn't so perceptual, the shirt would've "disappeared" during the move.

But she expected the shirt, baggy jeans, one of his old pair of Jordan's and a cross necklace and the possible appearance of the black Chicago Bulls hat that Nathan probably cherished more than his Jordan shoes collection.

She honestly was prepared for Nathan to dress ridiculous because he didn't want to go. But here he is, looking like he was going to a business dinner than out clubbing. As cheesy as it sounded, he took her breath away.

"Wow," she said as she leaned against the doorframe. "You look… hot."

Haley gave him a teasing smirk and Nathan arched an eyebrow before looking at her. She knew he hated superficial adjectives when it came to looks. He thought it was cheap to call someone "hot" or "smoking." There was more to those generic adjectives about someone's looks, he always said.

One of the best things about Nathan, Haley thought, was his passion about creativity. He was an true artist in his soul, but he still kept that athlete persona for the masses. Why? Because they treat him as an athlete, they're gonna get him as an athlete. He always said they don't deserve to see who he truly is. Sometimes Haley disagreed, but she was also secretly selfish; she loved the fact that was the one that truly knew him.

Nathan chuckled a little at Haley's innuendo and she saw his eyes check her out. He was willing to play this little game. She watched as he took in her perfect red dress that hugged her hips just right and stopped just below mid-thigh. It had that just-right v-neck that showed enough cleavage and had lace on the side that showed off her ribcage and the curve of her upper body. Her four-inch black peep-toe heels made the top of her eye level with his jaw line. Her hair was straight and flowed a little bit over her shoulders and her brown eyes popped because the dark, shadow eye make-up she had.

He wanted to call her "smoking" or "sexy," but his mouth wouldn't cooperate with his brain. She was more than something generic, even in normal clothing.

"You look gorgeous," he said.

Haley scoffed and little but the pink tint showed her blush. He sounded sincere but with conviction. Sometimes the way he looked at her made her shy but she craved it. It showed her no matter what, Nathan would protect her. And even though his childhood was worse than hers, she still needed a hero.

She looked down before she looked up and stepped forward into the bathroom and held her hands out for a hug. He quickly complied and reached in, his strong arms circled around her waist and hers automatically wrapped around his neck. He picked her up a little, no effort to keep her lined to his face since she was taller now Haley moved her lips to press against his. It was quick and chaste, and she immediately buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"Thank you," she said.

He chuckled a little. "For what?"

"For going to the club with me. And I know you really can't stand Brooke."

"Even if my father was going, I'd still go with you. You know I can't handle it if you go to the clubs without me."

She laughed a little. "I'm not going to get raped, Nathan."

"Okay, Miss Invincible. Besides, Brooke is easy to ignore when you're around."

"Why, because you only have eyes for me?"

He paused for a few seconds. "Pretty much."

The way he said it, she knew he was joking. She let out a very unattractive laugh pulled away from him. She had this urge to touch his outfit and smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt that she left when she hugged him. The palm of her hand started to smooth out his shirt and she looked up with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"I'm gonna have to bat away a lot of females tonight, huh?" She said, then looked back at his shirt.

"No need. I'm gonna be doing all the work as usual and glaring at all the guys that dare treat you like a slut."

"Oh, aren't you perfect?" She said with little sarcasm.

His comeback was quick. "I only try with you."

She smirked at his cuteness and smoothed one more wrinkle. She shook her head a little and then took a breath.

"Okay, we gotta go," she said. "Brooke is probably pissed that we're late."

He frowned. "What are you talking about? She said ten at the club. We're an hour early."

"But we're not an hour early at her house. She wants to pre-game. Let's go."

"Oh, my God. She's been partying like this since she was fifteen. When is she gonna get over being a slut?"

**9:30 p.m. – Brooke's Apartment**

"Finally!" Brooke dramatically sighed when she opened the door.

"The club won't swallow in an earthquake, Brooke." Haley said with a smile on her face and she kissed both of Brooke's cheeks.

Nathan cringed at the sight and Brooke caught his look. She smirked and gave him a seductive once-over. "Hey, stud." She said.

"Hey, slut." He replied back.

"Nathan!" Haley said as spun around and slapped his chest with an open palm. The smack could be heard and she glared hard.

Nathan gave a slight wince at the pain but it passed so quickly none of the girls noticed. He shrugged like the slap had no effect. "It slipped, I swear."

"Don't worry, Haley," Brooke said. "I've been called worse and I love the fact our friendship bothers your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend, I swear," Haley said.

"Yeah, and I'm fucking a girl."

"Jesus Christ," Nathan muttered.

Haley sighed. "Where are your jello shots? I think Nathan and I need it if this is a preview of what the night will be like."

Brooke's flirty smile went to evil smile and Nathan almost cave-manned Haley and picked her up over his shoulder and run for the hills. But before he could do anything along those lines, Haley grabbed his hand and followed Brooke's direction.

"In the kitchen, babe," Brooke said. "And trust me; this night will just get more sexual after those jello shots."

**10:00 – Rapture Nightclub**

In less cliché words of Brooke, the club was "popping."

Nathan looked around of all the blonde bimbos with platinum hair, orange-brown tan and humungous fake boobs. They were grinding with equal gelled-happy douchebags that wore the same attire as Nathan. He felt ashamed.

He never really liked the clubs in town. Yeah, sure, he's been – especially with his teammates – and he got lots of female attention, but they were so fake and so groupy-mentality that Nathan felt almost claustrophobic every time a blonde girl made eye contact with him.

Clubbing wasn't his scene, but every time Haley wanted to go (whether for research or fun) he never had a problem with the clubs. He stuck close to Haley (because he's a dude; he knows what guys are looking for at clubs) and actually has fun drinking and dancing with her.

Haley usually dragged him out like now. Going with a group of girls and he swears after a few drinks, her "girlfriends" are just basically lesbian for her and trying to put on a show for him. There's grinding, seductive looks, and basically their horniness tattooed on their foreheads.

The night outs always start the same. Rounds of shots (that he always somehow paid for), some slutty dancing by themselves while he and Haley looked on in amusement. Then they take Haley away and it's pretty much attention on them because her "girls" start grinding on her. Nathan buys another shot for himself to just deal, with the cliché attention and but stays back and watch for any perverts.

Then, of course, the men around them notice and start cat-calling or staring. Of course, this brings the DJ's attention, which leads to even more men gathering around and Nathan's on alert because he can feel his protective side oozing on the hair that stands on his arms. It's when men start to touch Haley when goes to her. One look and the men back off. And he shows the men how to really treat a woman in a club and respectively grinds with Haley.

But it's never just him and her when this routine is involved because her "girlfriends" start to grind against his backside and sandwhiches them. And now Nathan looks like a player and he gets high-fives he really doesn't want.

It isn't until Nathan spends about fifty-to a hundred dollars in shots that he finally gets Haley to himself. The drunker these "girlfriends" are, the more willing they are to get attention from a drunken douchebag. It's like the saying says: alcohol really does lower expectations. But he's still a gentlemen and still looks over these "girlfriends" that are just way too wild.

Those nights, he could handle. Those girls don't necessary flirt with him and it's only when alcohol is in their system when they get a little too touchy-feely with his best friend that he's comfortable with. At least they have an alter ego when they drink. Because normally - these girls that Nathan is forced to party with when Haley is in the mood to go clubbing – they're nice when they're sober and actually a great influence on his best friend when working on school projects.

But Brooke? Brooke doesn't go to school and she basically acts like a slut 24/7. She freely admits to using her body to get what she wants and she doesn't mind at all about being objectified. And she hits on anything that walks. Including his best friend and it just rubs him the wrong way. So he's worried when he has to go to Rapture because of Brooke.

He has a feeling if he's not sober this whole night, Brooke would somehow someway take advantage of Haley and kiss her and he might get in a fight when drunken assholes make a play to get Brooke to kiss Haley again. It doesn't matter if Haley constantly tells him that will never happen and they're here so Brooke can meet a guy.

It honestly bothers Haley when he says it out loud so he thinks it loud and clear in his mind. Brooke Davis is a slut he wouldn't trust ten feet away from him.

"Stop moping!" Haley yelled in Nathan's ear.

He couldn't help it, he was miserable. It seemed to be techno night so all he heard was dub step of the cheesiest pop songs alive that made the song sound like it was having sex then actually playing music. And the waitresses around might as well are passing out condoms instead of drinks by the looks of the patrons on the dance floor.

On top of that, Brooke's mystery man hasn't shown up yet so he's stuck watching Brooke dance with Haley like a slut. Well, she is a slut, but he couldn't help but think Brooke would try something different every once in a while.

Haley tried to get him involved but he just wasn't feeling it. He didn't want to share Haley with Brooke because… well, that will just be disastrous. So he stayed in the upper platform that held couches for customers to lounge in while he kept a hawk eye on his best friend.

Nathan gave Haley a warm smile and made some half-hearted excuse of the music being horrible. She tugged on his hand and he shook his head no. He gestured that she'd stay with Brooke and he was okay. She pouted before saying okay and ran back.

He watched as she resumed her position in front of Brooke and kept a respectable distance but still appropriate of girl-on-girl dancing. But of course Brooke had to keep it sexual and grabbed Haley's hips and pulled her closer before she screamed in delight. Nathan was happy he couldn't hear her or else he might pop a blood vessel in his eyes from rolling them too much.

He watched for maybe ten minutes before Brooke signaled that she need a drink. His eyes stayed on them as they held hands and journeyed to the bar. His hands instinctively gripped the handle bar in front of him when guys made moves to touch Haley, but Brooke was smart enough to keep going.

The platform had a great height advantage for Nathan to watch everything at the bar. Haley seemed fine, happy even and she stayed close to Brooke in the crowded club. Brooke yelled at the bartender then virtually ignored Haley as she dug into her clutch for her phone. His irritation grew that Brooke wasn't really paying attention to Haley's safety. Thank god, guys were only looking at Haley and not touching her.

Brooke was still busy with her phone when some guy grabbed Haley's elbow then another guy put his hand over Brooke's eyes and pulled her back into his body. Nathan panicked. He started shoving people out of the way as he tried to run to the bar. Millions of thoughts processed his brain. Kidnappers? Drunken assholes? Why wasn't anyone doing anything? His final thought was that he was too late.

"I'm thirsty!" Brooke yelled in her ear and she nodded. The dancing was starting to turn into an intense workout.

Brooke led the way to the bar and she was glad they were taking a break. She was having a blast but she kind of wished Nathan wasn't being a party pooper. He stayed in the VIP area while she danced. Usually, whenever they went out, Nathan was right by her side dancing and actually looking like he enjoyed himself somewhat.

Haley knew he hated going out. But they've always done everything together and she secretly liked the protective vibe Nathan gave, although there was no reason for it. But he absolutely hated Brooke. She never really understood his hatred, but she didn't pressure.

So while he stayed like a loner, she danced her ass off.

When Brooke suggested the bar, she was grateful. But she wasn't grateful for the assholes that tried to touch her. It was easy to ignore because she was nice and tipsy, but now she was starting to realize the true benefits of Nathan being around in a club. She never really noticed how much assholes could be in clubs.

She belatedly felt people touching her but Brooke kept pulling her towards the bar so she didn't really pay any attention. They finally hit the bar and Brooke leaned over to grab a bartender's attention. Haley was really content. Brooke looked back and asked what she wanted and she felt she reached her limit in alcohol so she told Brooke to get her water. Then Brooke ignored her as she dug into her clutch purse.

Haley looked down and found Brooke texting on her phone. It must've been the guy Brooke was supposed to meet. Speaking of which, Haley wondered where the guy was. He would've been here by now. She frowned and flitted her eyes around her surroundings when someone grabbed her elbow in a rough manner. She gasped and looked at Brooke to see a smile on her face but it quickly changed when a guy's hand covered her eyes and pulled back rough.

She briefly wondered where Nathan was before she looked up at the guy to find every detail about him in case she had to do a police sketch. She noticed the dirty-blonde hair, brown scruff forming on his face, and bluish-green eyes. What she was memorized on his shy-childish grin.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It was his idea."

Haley did a hesitant double-take and looked at Brooke and saw her give out a girlish squeal before launching in the man's arms that blindfolded her. It was dark in the club, but Haley made out brown hair and brown eyes that seemed to glow. He had facial hair, but she wasn't for sure if it was a five o'clock shadow or the beginnings of a beard. But Brooke looked extremely happy. I guess this was the guy and he brought a friend.

Haley visibly relaxed and tilted her head back in a full-blown laugh. She reached her hand over but her whole body was yanked back and she collided with a hard chest. She kind of lost her balance when the grip on her upper arm tightened to stop her from falling. She looked up and saw a different side of Nathan.

"Nathan," she breathed.

"Is this guy bothering you?" Nathan said in a low, angry tone that had Haley frowning.

"Um, no," she chuckled. "He's with Brooke's guy. Just played a little prank. I didn't his name actually." She turned toward him with a curious look on her face. "I'm Haley and this is my best friend, Nathan. You are?"

"Chris. Chris Keller."

**I figured I wrote a lot as a comeback chapter so the next will be a continuation of this cliffhanger. Please let me know what you think in the reviews and I will write personal responses along with spoilers.**

**CAli**


	5. The Beginning

Each Other's Comfort

**I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this chapter. I've teased relationships growing but I don't think I did it much justice to the one I was subconsciously thinking of when I wrote the personal responses. I hope this was a good balance of jealousy humor and sweetness and more blindness. Enjoy and thank you for those of you who have been sticking with this. I really do appreciate it.**

**CAli**

Ch. 5 – The Beginning

**11:00 – Club Rapture**

He didn't like him. Haley explained that he was playing a joke along with his friend but it didn't matter. He didn't like the way he pulled Haley. You don't grab a woman, simply put. Nathan glared throughout the introduction.

"Nice to meet you, man," he said, with his hand stuck out for a shake. "Pretty poppin' club, huh. And to think I wanted to stay in tonight."

He laughed and Haley laughed right with him. God, what a prick.

"That's so funny," Haley said. "Nathan wanted to stay in too. Aren't you glad you came, Nate?"

"Ecstatic," he said. "Come on, Hales, what are you drinking? I'll buy double shots and we can dance."

She gave him a weird look but before she could answer, the prick spoke up.

"Hey, man, you don't need to do that. Let me get this round; at least owe Haley for scaring the crap out of her. Tequila, okay?"

Nathan shook his head and opened his mouth. He made a move to lean in to yell in the guy's ear that it was okay but his best friend beat him to the punch.

Literally, she punched him.

"Don't you dare; let him be nice," she said to him then turned to Chris. "Thank you. Tequila is fine for all of us."

"Hell yeah!" Brooke shrieked and jumped on Haley. They almost fell but he kept his balance and Chris made a move to grab Haley's arms and steady her.

"Whoa!" He said. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Haley said.

"She's fine," Nathan cut her off.

Chris nodded and charmingly smiled at Haley before he looked up with the same grin directed towards him. He gave thumbs up and nodded his head like he was in the '50s and coolest cat in the diner.

"Hey, teamwork, huh? Nice work together savin' the girl."

Nathan gave him a weird look and there was that awkward silence but Chris turned his body towards the bar like nothing happened. Like that was a smooth transition. He rolled his eyes. What a prick.

Brooke's shrieking penetrated his line of thinking again so he turned towards the girl and tried to catch up on the conversation. Apparently he missed the introduction of Brooke's latest fuck buddy and she was now going on about body shots that her and Haley should do together… on the bar.

He rolled his eyes again and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long fucking night.

**11:30 p.m. – Club Rapture**

Nathan sat in their VIP area and thought of the different ways to get Haley away from Brooke. Once again, the girl was nothing but a bad influence. In the last thirty minutes, she convinced Haley to do body shots on top of the bar and they caught the attention to a bunch of horny assholes, who hooted and hollered and even tried to grab the girls.

Nathan almost got into a fist fight five times because of that stupid little stunt and Brooke's boy toy and the prick did nothing about it. Well, the prick broke up the fights and always whispered something and they seemed to calm down while Chris signaled the bartender for a drink.

What the hell? This drunken asshole decided that Haley was the type of girl who liked to be grabbed got a beer for his troubles? Was kind of guy this prick, Chris Keller? He should be tossed out of the club right along with him for protecting Haley not buying drinks.

Nathan sighed as he tried to reign in his anger. He silently fumed as he turned back towards the bar and looked up at Haley again. The crowd erupted again and he saw Haley pushed Brooke away uncontrollably laughing while her hand covered her mouth. Brooke squealed like the slut she was.

"Kiss her again!" The crowd around him chanted and Nathan's jaw dropped.

Oh hell no!

Brooke took another shot and went to grab Haley again, but his sweet best friend had enough common sense to lightly push her away. He had enough. He surged forward and yelled Haley's name while holding his hand up and motioned her to get down. She affectionately smiled at him and took his hand to get down and the crowd booed him. Brooke was the loudest out of all of them.

After he got Haley down, Brooke's boy toy seemed to get the hint and got her down from the bar. He was accompanied by boos also but he was eating it up and even yelled something back at the crowd. He seemed to be enjoying the show and Nathan decided he hated the douche too. Especially when the crowd cheered when Brooke kissed him the moment she collided with his chest.

Nathan led Haley to the VIP area and once he made sure she safely ascended the steps before he turned around to see if he should get the rest of the (reluctantly called it) entourage or tried to get Haley sobered up between the two of them when he noticed the prick starting to escort Brooke and her boy toy.

He rolled his eyes and went to Haley, who unceremoniously flopped on the red velvet cushions. When he settled beside her she snuggled into him and lightly groaned.

"Too much drinking?" He muttered.

"Nope," she giggled. I just needed to get away from the crowd. They were getting a little rowdy."

"Yeah, I almost punched a guy."

"Nathan!"

Before he could respond, Brooke giggled her slutty laugh and squealed when her boy toy dropped on top of her and captured her lips in a kiss. Nathan wanted to throw up and he had a savior in Chris when he sat between the couple and Haley but he had that stupid grin on his face and Nathan remembered. His upper lip slightly curled when he remembered he didn't like the prick.

"Sorry, they could be disgusting. I'm so glad I have two people to talk to besides watching them," Chris said. "Hey, Haley, you don't look so hot. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it was getting a little intense at the bar, thank you, though."

"Oh, yeah, guys can be real assholes about that. Nathan was getting upset and I didn't want him thrown out of the bar over something so stupid so I had to buy those guys a drink to call them down."

"Oh, Nathan's my hero, he's always saving me," she tightened her grip on him in a hug then patted his chest. "Thank you for saving him, though. He doesn't need to be in fights since he's our basketball player at school."

Uh, no bitch. That prick didn't save him; he saved that horny asshole from getting his face pummeled in. The only person who could save him was Haley.

"You play basketball?" Chris asked.

"Yeah," he said dismissively. Haley slapped his chest again and he reacted in surprised hurt. She pointedly looked at him like he was rude and he rolled his eyes. "I mean, yes, Chris I play basketball. Been playing since I was a kid."

"That's so cool. I mean, I tried to play basketball but I was this scrawny little kid who endured more balls being thrown at him then putting them through a hoop." He laughed and Haley laughed right along with him.

Nathan scrunched up his face at the story. Of course he would get bullied; he was a swarmy geek. He rolled his eyes but the prick wasn't paying attention to him. His eyes were solely on Haley and they chatted about their newfound common interest in being a little clumsy. He decided not to say anything and let Haley enjoy the company. It was good she met someone outside him and Brooke.

He scanned the club to distract his feelings of hatred towards Brooke and annoyance towards the prick when his eyes scanned Haley's lips in time to see her lick them and subtlety fan her chest. The prick seemed to notice too.

"Are you thirsty?" Chris asked. "Do you want me to get you water?"

"Um—" Haley started.

"I got it," Nathan said as he got up.

"No, man, it's not a problem," Chris said as he started to get up too.

"No!" Haley stopped him. "It's almost embarrassingly cute, but Nathan always gets my water. It's sort of a thing. Hell, he doesn't even let me scoot my chair back when we're in public. He's always the gentleman."

"Ah, that's so cool. You're very lucky to have someone like that in your life. Every girl deserves to feel special."

Nathan frowned then looked at Haley to see if she was okay. She sweetly smiled at him and nodded before turning her attention back to Chris. He walked away and heard her familiar explanation between the two of them.

"Nathan's my best friend," she said. "He has a certain way to make me feel special."

**11:45 p.m. – Club Rapture**

Nathan needed to invent something called "The Haley Resister." The girl was dangerous, seriously. She knew exactly how to get him to do what she wanted and all she had to do was pout. And that's what she did after she chugged about half of her water bottle and heard a Spanish beat that made her jumped to her feet and she grabbed his hand.

"No," he said.

"C'mon! It's one of my favorites and you know you want to. You enjoyed those dance classes as much as I did."

"Shush!"

He leapt forward and attempted to cover her mouth but she twirled away from him. The prick laughed at the little display and Nathan couldn't help but turn towards him a little and glare.

Haley bit her bottom lip and smiled before she pouted. Nathan shook his head and turned away.

"Dance with me," she said. "Or I slutty dance with Brooke."

His eyes narrowed in a silent threat that she wouldn't. Her head tilted in response and she gave him an arrogant look that said watch me do it. He sighed and threw his hands up.

"Fine."

Haley squealed and grabbed Brooke's hand and pulled. Brooke was busy being a slut so her eyes were a little dazed when Haley whispered in her ear and he only guessed she told Brooke where they would be. He watched as Brooked nodded and whispered something to the guy and they got up too. And of course, the prick was a little follower.

"She's got a way with the men, huh?" Chris said to him as they watched Haley and Brooke descended the stairs.

Nathan gave him an incredulous look. "Brooke would give it up to a pinecone if it had a dick. Haley's a good girl so you better not be insinuating what I think you is."

"No, no, man, I didn't mean anything. I'm just saying she knows you so well, she knows what to do to get you to cave. I'm pretty sure she's not aware she can do that to any man. She's beautiful. You're lucky that she's in your life. I mean it, man. I can tell she's special."

Nathan had no idea what this prick's motive was, but he didn't trust him. So he stared a little bit before he leaned in his ear and whispered as loud and threatening as he could.

"You're not dancing with her."

The prick gestured his hand wide for him. "By all means. Have fun with your best friend."

Nathan eyed him again before he went down the stairs and walked through the crowd until he found Haley. She was dancing by herself to the rap/latin upbeat and he had to stop for a second. At that very second, she looked so sexy that a man would drop to his knees just to get her name. He softly smiled. At least his bad mood wasn't affecting her happiness.

His eyes drifted upwards a little bit and he saw a guy making his way towards her. Nathan could tell he was slime five miles away so he started to be forceful with the crowd to intercept her when she made eye contact with him and danced away from her spot. She curled her index finger in a "come here" gesture and started to strut towards Nathan. He smirked and met her halfway.

She put out her hand and he grabbed it and pulled her towards him but he ducked under her arms to spin her then pulled her back to him to the starting position of the salsa. She laughed as he led her and they flowed with ease in the steps. They kept with the beat even though the song was made for the typical booty-shaking and grinding and they started growing a crowd.

A couple years ago, Haley discovered dancing, especially Latin dancing. She dragged Nathan along for lessons and he wouldn't admit to anyone but he enjoyed dancing. Dancing was like being free, especially with Haley. They definitely had chemistry but when the tension seemed to turn up to boiling point one of them would burst in an unattractive laugh and they would be giggling for hours after. There were so many times in their apartment they would get silly and start salsa dancing just to cheer the other up.

Halfway through the song, Nathan dipped Haley who laughed and the crowd cheered. Some even said to kiss her. They both uncontrollably laughed when they heard that and he let her up. She spinned away from him and did a little sexy shimmy before he busted out with some hip shaking also. The girls went wild over that. Haley even clapped along with the shrieking and danced closer to him. On time with the beat, Nathan gently grasped her hand and twirled her several times. The DJ remixed the tracks and the music transitioned into a smooth R&B beat that coincided with Haley spinning until her back hit his front and her hand cupped the back of his neck and her hips transitioned into a gentle grind.

His hands immediately went to her hips and his followed hers to the beat. His face was buried in her neck and he couldn't help but grin. He knew they were hot and he had to admit he had fun putting on a show. He felt Haley's happiness and he could tell she was grinning also. She rolled her body to the beat and he followed every single one of her movements. He kissed her neck because he could and she let his neck go and he raised his head and found her beautiful smile directed at his jawline. They grinned at each other before the DJ scratched the track then it transitioned to a fast dance beat.

Haley picked up speed in her rhythmic dancing and he scanned the crowd until he looked right in front of him. His jaw slightly clinched. The prick was right in front of them and he was impersonating every move Haley was doing. He looked absolutely fucking ridiculous. And Haley was eating it up in laughter. She enjoyed this god-awful dancing of this scrawny kid prick that's doing everything in his power to get him to like him. What the fuck?

He didn't find it amusing at all, but Haley did. So he swallowed his irritation and kept dancing with his best friend. She never left his company but she talked to the prick and told him certain moves to do and showed him how.

How could she find this guy so adorable?

**10 a.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Something tickled his nose. He wrinkled his nose a couple times to get rid of the feeling. It worked for a couple of minutes before the tickling sensation started again. He frowned in his sleep and groaned. His hand went to brush whatever it was that irritated his nose and it came across something soft.

Nathan opened his eyes and found Haley cuddled against him and it was her blond hair fanned out that bothered his nose. He frowned a little and took in his surroundings. They were in his room and he felt barely any cloth between them under the sheets.

What the fuck happened last night?

He lifted up the comforter and found that he was only in his boxers and Haley was in her bra and panties. He tried to remember last night and what exactly did Haley wear to bed. He knew panties and a shirt was involved but he also deducted that if they had sex last night, they would've been naked. The thinking was starting to hurt and he breathed a sigh of relief when Haley started to stir.

"Ugh, aren't you supposed to be a vampire? Why is there sunlight?" She asked.

"That's you," he replied and she responded by tightening her grip and stretching into him. He moaned softly at her hug. "Did we hook up last night?"

He felt her frown in his neck then she lifted her head onto his chest and turned so she could look at him. She squinted her eyes.

"Maybe?" She said. "No, we're in our underwear, we would've been naked. I remember it was too hot under your covers so I stripped my shirt off."

"I thought we were sober last night."

"We were. Until we left the club and partied at Brooke's."

"Ew."

"Oh, you enjoyed the kisses."

"I didn't kiss her, did I?"

"I can't remember. Probably. There was spin the bottle."

"Ugh, I need to rinse my mouth out with bleach." He made a move to get up and she slapped his chest. He chuckled when she cuddled more into him.

"Stop being an ass towards her. She's fun to party with."

"She's a bad influence."

"Whatever. You like that she puts you in your place."

"Um, the only person who could do that is you. How did we get home if we got so trashed?"

"I believe Chris helped us get a cab. The rest was us. Mm. He is a good kisser."

"Uh, we're not talking about how another guy is a good kisser in my bed."

They both laughed and Haley pecked his chest.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For coming last night. For hanging out. For not being a complete ass to Chris even though you were a little rude."

"He's a skinny dick."

"What?" she laughed.

"I'm serious. You don't grab a girl like that, doesn't matter if you're joking. He was rough then he was dork afterwards. Like he was trying to get my approval. What the fuck was that, you know?"

"Maybe it's because he respects that you're my best friend and you were being protective last night?"

"It doesn't matter. He's a skinny dick."

"Well, it's a good thing I don't need your permission to like someone, huh?"

"You like him?" He sounded incredulous.

"Yes. He's quirky. Adorable, kinda like you."

"Uh, excuse you, woman? I'm not quirky."

"Ugh, Nate, it's too early and too hard to explain it. He reminds me of you some way."

"I'm gonna have to kiss what you said out of your mouth."

They laughed again and Haley moved up to meet his lips. It was a sweet little peck before she resumed her position back into his side.

"Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"What would you do without me?"

"I'd die."

"Nate?"

"Yeah, Hales?"

She traced two curves on the left side of his chest that came full circle. "I'm here always," she mumbled into his skin.

He played with her hair when he responded. "I'll be here forever."

**End Chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed the obvious yet so blind. Review if you'd like. Personal responses would come soon.**

**CAli**


	6. The Falling

Each Other's Comfort

**Here is the next chapter of this ridiculously love saga. Hope you enjoy…**

**CAli**

Ch. 6 – The Falling

**7:55 pm – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan plopped on the sofa, raised his arms and stretched. The light pop, pop was faintly heard from his lower back and he groaned in appreciation. It was a Friday night and Brooke wasn't being a bad influence on Haley, which meant he wasn't dragged out to hang with the douche brothers (he fondly called Chris and Julian), which meant he could finally watch the UFC match on the comfort of his couch.

Life was good.

He could've gone to the bar with the basketball buddies, but he was exhausted of going out. Brooke found a new boy-toy in this Julian douche but she also found a new liking to double-dates, so Julian would invite Chris out and Brooke would invite Haley but Haley would drag him, which turned into a five-wheel date. And all the tolerance Nathan had of the four other people limited to frequent eye-rolls because Haley was _nice_. Sometimes he hated it.

He didn't understand why he would always have to come along. He practically begged his best friend to just go on the double-date but she always brought up the fact that they always went out together. They've been attached since they were twelve and she felt lost if Nathan wasn't with her out in public outings. All this was one ear and out the other because all he saw was her pout and that was his demise. He would frown every time he had the time to brood to himself how everything about his morals could be destroyed by her pout and he was rendered useless and to her power. It wasn't right and he was convinced she would evilly laugh when he wasn't looking.

She had power to everyone and she knew it. Evil woman.

But now, now was good. Haley never came home this week talking about Brooke and Julian and Chris wanting to hang out. Actually, Haley was nowhere to be seen and Nathan only knew one thing would save his sanity in this burst of party life.

A night in to himself.

It was great; snacks and beer within reach and their flat screen ten feet away with HD capability where he saw clear as crisp punches and kicks between two men caged in a hexagram design. No douchebags, no best friends using their evil power ways on him, and no sluts making out with douchebags. Just him and his manly recreation entertainment on the couch for two hours of vicious fighting that had him grinning like he profited from the fight. God liked him so much, he granted a nice Friday night in.

Then his cell phone rang LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It.

He blew out a breath that was meant to calm and pulled out his phone. The urge to roll his eyes incessantly poked to do it, but he refused to show annoyance. He never lost his patience or showed annoyance towards his best friend and he would never start now.

_But goddamnit, Haley._

"Yes, sweetie," Nathan answered with a pained sigh.

"Nate, baby! What are you doing?" She was excited and seemed to be in a packed place because he heard chatter around her.

"Enjoying a night in."

"Oh, boo! On a Friday night? Come downtown. I'm at Chris's art exhibit, it's amazing, and you have to come!"

"Babe, I'm sorry, no."

"What?" Her voice sharped at the one-tone syllable.

Nathan face-palmed his forehead and willed his resolve. "UFC is about to start. I love you, and I will do anything for you, but I will not leave UFC for an art exhibit. That's a little bit gay, and I'm sorry but I can't do that to my manhood right now."

"What if I came home and dragged you out?"

"Hales, please!"

"Nate, I wanna hang out!"

"I am begging you. Begging. Please do not come home and use that stupid pout on me. I've been out with you guys every day the past few weeks hanging with the three-douche-amigos. I just want a night in to myself and I promise you, I will spend all day tomorrow with the amigos and buy their tab. Just give me this one night."

"But we've never went out separately." There was a hint of vulnerability in her voice and Nathan had to give himself a silent mantra to stay strong.

"First time for everything. Besides, you'll be with Brooke, right?"

"Yeah."

"And it's Chris's exhibit. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Fine, but if I'm sexually assaulted, it's your fault."

Nathan's eyes narrowed at the scenario that formed within his brain and he almost said fuck it. But he realized the tone of her voice and she was joking. Nothing drastic like that would ever happen. As much as he couldn't stand Brooke, he knew that she protective of his best friend and wouldn't let anything truly bad happened and Chris feared him. If anything happened to Haley, Nathan would be put on Death Row.

"Call me when you leave," he softly said. "Have fun, Hales."

"I'll try. See you at home."

Nathan hung up and took a calming breath. He was doing the right thing. A few hours apart wouldn't kill them and nothing bad would happen to his best friend. He cracked his neck, to get rid of the last negativity he felt, reached for the beer opener, cracked the lid off his Corona bottle and grabbed the remote and changed to _Spike TV_.

"Let's go Silva," he said out loud.

Nathan frowned when the door was being fiddled with. It was 11pm and Haley hadn't called him when she left the art exhibit so he was a little confused. Did someone dare tried to break in or did Haley really not check in with him. He grabbed his cell phone that laid on the coffee table along with the row of six beers he devoured and checked to make sure he wasn't hallucinating that Haley didn't call.

Nada.

He wasn't necessarily drunk but he did drink a lot considering a night in and it was enough that made him a little woozy when he quickly stood up. Instincts told him to call the cops but he wasn't listening. Instead, he grabbed the bat that laid stationary in the hallway and made his way towards the door. The closer he got, the more he realized that it was someone messing around with the key, not using a credit card to jimmy the lock. He sighed a little as he had a good idea that it was indeed his roommate but the hairs on the back of his neck still stood at end. He loosened his grip on the bat a little and swiftly unlocked the door and opened it fast.

Haley fell with the door but caught herself and looked up at him. She gave the most unattractive snort he ever heard in his entire life and collapsed in a fit of giggles and leaned heavily against the door.

"I couldn't get it open," she said, and Nathan sighed. Her eyes were a little glazed. "My hero."

"Why are you by yourself and obviously trashed?" Nathan gently grabbed her forearm and pulled her toward him while he looked down both sides of the hallway.

"Brooke's downstairs with Julian and Chris. Or probably long gone in the car they dropped me off in."

"And they didn't walk you to the door?"

Nathan's tone turned angry as he supported Haley down the hall to the living room and she moaned in protest. At first, he thought maybe he would have to go caveman and throw her over his shoulder for the journey but she was complying just fine in the walking department. He looked down and realized her eyes pouted at his tone.

"Don't, Nate baby. I'ma big girl."

"Still. Someone still could've saw how out of it you are and taken advantage. You can never be too careful, Hales. They should've walked you up, including that so-called friend of a slut."

"Nate, stop being so mean. Nothing happened, see? I'm perfect for a kiss."

She puckered her lips and even made Ms. Piggy noises as she stopped in the middle of the hallway and swayed her head in all sorts of directions. God, she was so silly. Nathan sighed and leaned down for a chaste kiss. She squealed like he gave her Christmas and snuggled into his side. They plopped down at the same time on their couch and she fully evolved her body snugged into his. She closed her eyes and gave a happy sigh.

Nathan sighed also and reached for the remote and muted his new favorite late show and let all the tension he felt building go once Haley's arms wrapped around his torso. She practically snuggled into him; her legs horizontal on his lap yet she straddled him and was practically glued. The crook of his neck tickled with the hot air she blew in a steady rhythm. She always had this effect; this calm that always washed his temper away with just a simply cuddle of her warm body. His arms tightly wrapped the middle of her back and pulled her infinitely closer and kissed her cheek.

"Did you have fun?" He asked.

She moaned into his neck and lightly pecked his skin before she lifted her head to look at him, which turned out to be this happy stare at his eyes. There was this serene forest swirling in her eyes that showed the peace she experienced and he was almost jealous that she actually had fun without him. But he blocked all that out and gave her a soft smile back and waited for her to explain.

"It was amazing, Nate. Chris is so talented in his art. I know you're all about being a man and whatnot, but I'm telling you, you would be in awe. His art is just so…painful yet beautiful. Like being in pain makes you beautiful. Does that make sense?"

"No." His response was quick and playful.

She smirked in response and lightly slapped his chin. He scrunched his face to mock a flinch and she giggled.

"I'm serious," she said. "It was like, the pain of being in love with someone brings this raw beauty of out you. I mean, the girls he painted… they were in so much pain and heartache, but they were so beautiful and it made me mad at the man for not noticing, you know? He brought so emotion and I'm so proud of him."

"How long was the exhibit?"

"Only two hours. We were out of there by nine and Chris was invited by an investor to this swanky underground club as an after-party. Oh, my God, Nate, I wish you came. They flowed expensive champagne all over the place and it was all free! There was even a water fountain that reminded you of Paris flowing of the most expensive champagne to date."

"Explains the sweet breath."

"I pay have went a little kid-crazy," she giggled. "Oh, I just wished you were there and experience the fancy rich life."

"Chris is loaded?" Maybe he should be nicer…

"He's on his way, if he keeps making those beautiful paintings. Everyone at the exhibit was all over him, I swear. And he's such a sweet man."

Nathan rolled his eyes. They were silent for a beat. "Why didn't you call when you left?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, babe. They saw I had a little too much to drink so we took a complimentary chauffeur-loaded town car back, plus Brooke and Julian wanted an early night in and I remembered to pull out my cell phone but Chris distracted me. We had an amazing intellectual conversation," she dreamily sighed a little at the end and Nathan frowned a little.

"I'm glad you had fun."

"I did. But it felt a little weird, you know? You not being there. I don't ever want to feel that way ever again."

"It sounds like you're attached to me," he grinned.

"Uh, always," she mimicked a valley accent then giggled once. "You can't get rid of me. Best friends forever, remember?"

"Ride till we die."

They laughed then Haley rested her head on top of his chest. He felt her ear against his heartbeat.

"What would you do without me?" She murmured.

"I'd die."

He felt the corner of her mouth rustled the fabric of his t-shirt and he knew she was smiling.

"Nate?" Her hand landed next to her face and he felt her fingers freely traced his shirt next to his heart. "I'm here always."

He tightened his grip. "I'll be here forever."

**10: 15 am. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Haley jerked awake like someone slapped the shit out of her. Her hair felt wild, as one side was permanently stuck on one side of her face and her mouth slowly opened. Her throat felt like it got in a fight with Hulk Hogan and her lips were dried like a sun-beat raisin.

_Holy shit, what happened last night?_

Her eyes, she practically felt the redness creating lines around her cornea and she felt she needed water doused on her just to make the dryness her face felt disappear.

"Oh, my God, what's happening to me?" She croaked.

Nathan laughed and set the breakfast tray on her lap. "Stop being so dramatic."

"What is wrong with me?"

"It's called a hangover. I guess that expensive champagne is a silent killer, huh?"

"I need liquids."

"Right here, precious."

He handed her an ice-cold glass of water and she took it delicately between her hands. The coolness the ice provided calmed her nerves and she took grateful gulps and her body tingled. After three gulps she sighed like the soda commercials and placed the glass on the wooden try and contentedly hummed.

She opened her eyes and saw the playfulness swimming in the blue of her best friend's eyes and she tilted her head in contemplation. He sat on the edge of her bed and just smiled. Soon enough, the corner of her lips curved up and she showed her teeth before she ducked her head a little shy. That's when she noticed the breakfast.

On a single plate, two pancakes stacked full of melted butter and maple syrup, three strips of crunchy bacon, scrambled eggs with shredded cheese and a handful of strawberries on the side; her favorite. Her soft smile turned into a huge grin as Nathan just smirked.

"What is the special occasion?" She practically squealed.

"Maybe I felt a little bad for leaving you hanging and in result had you come home by yourself."

"Nate…"

"Or maybe I just did it for the hell of it."

"Or maybe you're buttering me up in hopes that I forget your promise about hanging out with Brooke, Julian, and Chris."

A fake gasp. "I would never!"

"Uh-huh. I know you, Nathan. Best friends since we were twelve; you think I wouldn't notice that you hate cooking and that you're a spoiled brat about it? As much as I love being pampered by you, no dice. You're hanging out."

"What if I told you I had an emergency basketball practice?"

"I'll just confirm it with your coach. I know his number by heart."

She laughed at his glare as she took a forkful mountain of scrambled eggs into her mouth and moaned.

"This is the thanks I get for being so nice to you?" He grumbled.

"You're only nice to me. And thank you. But you promised."

"They're really are the three douche amigos."

"Stop it."

"Don't you have a project to obsess over?"

"It can be done after we hang out."

"Ugh! Fine! Finish your breakfast then. Your slut-friend keeps texting you." He slapped her leg and got up to leave.

"Nathan! When are you going to stop being so mean to Brooke?"

His voice was distant. "When hell becomes heaven!"

She rolled her eyes and looked down at her breakfast. She took another forkful of eggs and scooped it into her mouth and that sex moan came out again.

"He sure knows how to cook when he wants to," she said to herself.

**1:30 pm. – Santa Monica Pier**

Beach day. Brooke "Slutastic" Davis wanted to go to the motherfucking beach on a Saturday. He couldn't believe he was dragged here. There were gonna be scantily clad women prancing about and men with wandering eyes and let's forget having an own spot in the sand where people weren't drinking and blocking the sun.

Simply put, Nathan was annoyed. They were two places he avoided on a Saturday afternoon: the beach and the mall and where did these assholes picked to spend the whole day? One of the most crowded place of all in LA.

"This is gonna be so fun!" Brooke said.

Nathan rolled his eyes so hard he didn't have vision for a few seconds. It's a good thing he wore his sunglasses or else Haley would hit him equally as hard. He barely got out of the car before Brooke and Haley piled all their beach equipment in his arms and he expected at least Chris and Julian be served the same punishment, but nope, both boys were free. Brooke went straight to Julian's arms after her little comment and Nathan threw up a little when they started making out, tongue and all. Chris made a joke and Haley boisterous laugh sounded and a small cooler slid over his arm and dug into his forearm. Nathan huffed and rolled his eyes again.

"I know I'm not the only manly man here," He said, his voice laced with annoyance.

Everyone looked at him and his eyes darted at Julian's scrawny arms then Chris's equally scrawny. Has these boys ever heard of a dumbbell?

_At second thought, maybe I am._

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Well, what do you expect Nathan? Us girls are sure as hell not gonna carry all that stuff."

Her arms wrapped around Julian's neck and his hands went straight to her waist. The guy looked like he was slut-happy and Nathan knew he wasn't gonna get help from him. Julian made eye contact with him and helplessly shrugged.

_Ditched for the slut_. Nathan shook his head in annoyance.

His eyes switched over to where Haley and Chris awkwardly stood. Haley looked guilty for more reasons than one and she looked at Chris with a chewed lip in between her teeth. She looked at Nathan again and took a step forward to help but then Chris pushed out his arm and lightly pushed her back. Nathan had the urge to snap at him for not manhandling Haley like that, but he pushed the outburst back because Chris opened his mouth.

"Hey, guy, I'll help, no problem. Here, I'll take the towels." Chris said as he unwrapped the bundles of towels draped over Nathan's shoulders and slugged them over his.

Chris gave him a big smile like he did the world a favor and clapped his shoulder blade a couple times. Nathan had to clench his fist to stop his feet from propelling a jump attack. His jaw tightened in tested patience and he was pretty sure his eyes glared death. Chris went back to Haley and offered his arm with a charming grin and Haley smiled back. Nathan decided if he couldn't pummel him, Julian, and Brooke, he was sure as hell gonna drink all the alcohol they bought.

"Brooke, stop being disgusting and let's walk," Haley called out.

Brooke pulled out of the nasty-ass kiss and laughed before she pulled Julian into her side and started walking. Julian's hand automatically went to Brooke's ass and squeezed, followed by Brooke's girlish squeal.

Nathan rolled his eyes again. "Jesus Christ," he muttered.

"I know right," Chris said beside him and Nathan cut his eyes to the side and glared but he saw there was a gap between them; a very short gap. He felt a feminine hand wrapped tightly on his bicep and looked down to see his best friend between them. He sighed; it was probably for the best.

"I'm sorry you had to carry everything, Nate," she said softly. "But today's gonna be awesome! I have my favorite people all around me."

If only it was just the two of them.

After a ten minute search, they finally found a decent spot to set up camp to tan and perfect running distance to get in the water. Nathan grumbled the whole ten minutes and then some because it was him once again that set everything up. The only helped he received was when Haley helped unload everything from his arms and then Chris took over laying out the towels when Haley tried. Nathan clenched his jaw from yelling at him.

Once everything was set up, Nathan relaxed and went straight for the cooler with the alcohol in it. He took out a Bud Light and basked in the freshness pop the can provided when he opened it. The beer promised him his thirst quenched and numbness to ignore the three douchebag amigos. He took one huge gulp and noticed Brooke and Julian already running away to the ocean and Chris finished rubbing suntan lotion on Haley's upper back. He frowned a little since he was the one Haley always went to but shrugged it off since she realized he radiated of annoyance.

Nathan took a calming breath and took another gulp then laid down on the towels. The sun beat on his skin and warm heat relaxed him. His arms raised and he lifted his head a little to let the palms fold over each other and then rested the base of his head. His legs stretched outwards a little as he felt every single muscle twitch to a dormat, relaxed state. He exhaled like he was falling asleep and allowed his mouth to form into a small smile. He was finally left alone.

"Hey, guy," Chris sounded next to him.

"Fucking A," Nathan muttered.

He lifted his head and unfolded his hands to lift his sunglasses from his eyes and he couldn't help but show his annoyance.

"Really, dude?" Nathan asked.

"What?"

"Are you really that fucking clueless or are you just that fucking annoying?" He cringed as he let his temper get to him and he waited for Haley's admonishment but it never came. "Where is Haley?"

"Oh, she's in the water with the make-out twins," Chris nodded towards the Pacific Ocean. "Are you okay, man? Did I offend you?"

"Actually, you did," time for verbal beating Nathan wanted to give since last night. "How could you fucking leave her last night, man? All three of you got her drunk and didn't have the decency to walk her up. Something seriously bad could've happened."

"I actually tried, but Haley wouldn't let me. Said she already had a protector. And I cut her off when she couldn't stand on her feet. I wanted to walk her up, man, I swear. But you know her, she's your best friend, she's stubborn."

Well, that was interesting. Haley never mentioned a single sole.

"I know there are a lot of creeps around, even if we live in the nicer area of LA. I didn't want to leave her, I swear. If it makes you feel better, I made the driver stay outside for ten minutes to make sure nothing suspicious passed by."

"Oh."

"Look, man, I understand your protectiveness. She's a great girl and when she's around, I want to protect her too. She's amazing, and all she talks about is your guys' relationship."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"No, why would it? Every girl needs some sort of rock."

Nathan frowned a little in thought. Most guys Haley found were extremely jealous of their friendship and it brought out every insecurity that made Nathan wanted to punch their nuts for not being a man. But Chris? Chris encouraged their friendship; admired it almost and was just about as protective as him. His annoyance with Chris's quirks was starting to evaporate but he wasn't going to apologize for his accusations. They still stood against Brooke and Julian.

"Hey!" Haley laughed as she jogged back.

Her whole body was drenched and she smelled of sun and saltwater. Nathan smiled in appreciation at her beauty and he noticed Chris had the same smile. Maybe he wasn't a douchebag since his smile was actually of concern and not of creepy swarm. Haley lowered her body and tackled Nathan in a hug and he cringed while her sunshine laughter filled both his and Chris's ears.

"Ugh, Hales, you know I hate it when you do that," Nathan groaned.

"Which is why I keep doing it!"

Nathan shivered as the cold saltwater clung to his naked chest and her wet hair whipped his cheek. But he still smiled as she busied herself in a comfortable position in his lap.

"Hey sexy! Your ass is looking perfect for hand to slap!"

Nathan narrowed his eyes and felt his jaw clenched at the rowdy dicks that passed them. He was about to open his mouth and rise up to get in their faces when Chris beat him to it. Haley tightened her grip around his neck and whispered in his ear.

"Ignore them," she said, as she rolled her eyes.

"Back off, fellas, she doesn't need dicks like you harassing her when we're here or worse, we'll call the cops," Chris said at the same time.

"What crawled up your ass?" One of the boys said. "We're just paying her a compliment."

"Why don't you compliment how beautiful her body looks, not degrade her ass? Move on!"

"What are you, her boyfriend? What a slut if she's hanging all over another man."

Nathan had enough and gently lifted off Haley off him and grabbed the football near him. The guys were retreating off, laughing like they made the biggest joke in the world. Without hesitation, Nathan palmed the football and launched it at the guys with a powerful grunt. The pointed end of the pigskin spiked the guy who talked trash about Haley in the middle of his back and the force made him stumbled. Nathan stood his ground as the guys started charging towards him when lifeguards appeared out of nowhere.

They all watched as the boys tried to explain they were attacked by Nathan. One of the lifeguards came over to ask if Nathan threw the football and he lied. Chris backed him up and said the boys were drunk retards that were imagining things and they were harassing Haley. Haley disapprovingly looked at them but when the lifeguard turned towards her, he looked at her with concern.

"Were they bothering you, Miss?" The lifeguard asked.

"They were just being drunken a-holes," she said, with a slight roll of her eyes. "They complimented my butt in the most degrading way then called me a slut when my friend, Chris, defended me. That's all. We didn't have a football with us so we don't know where the attack came from."

"Okay, they'll be kicked off for their lewd behavior. I'm sorry you were harassed."

"It's no big deal; you don't have to kick them off."

"It's policy, ma'am. If there's any harassment of any kind, they're kicked off. Have a great day."

"Thank you."

They watched as the boys were escorted to their stuff then off the beach property. Nathan laughed and even high-fived Chris before they all sat down again. Haley snuggled into Nathan but was between him and Chris and even though she didn't approve of their right-out lie, Nathan grinned at her obvious subtle happiness the boys were gone. A couple of girls passed by him and winked with their flirty smiles.

"Nice throw," One of them said.

Nathan nodded a thank you then went back to the conversation Haley and Chris were having. He noticed Haley's eyes followed the girls and she muttered something.

"That was very subtle," she said.

"What was?" He curiously asked.

"Their eye-fucking," she raised an eyebrow then turned back to Chris and said something about art.

Nathan raised his eyebrows in confusion. Was that a passive-aggressive jealous comment? He wasn't for sure since he's never seen Haley jealous but she was great at passive-aggressive when she was pissed. He had ten years of front row service of her passive-aggressiveness when it came to his father. But other girls? He looked at her more in wonderment before he decided to let it go and continue their conversation.

**8:00 pm. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"Today was fun, right?" Haley asked as she scooped the last of her dinner in her mouth.

Nathan silently chewed his food and nodded. They brought home some Chinese take-out after the three douchebag amigos dropped them off. It was a nice quiet night-in as he and Haley absently watched TV. They finished their foods about the same time when Haley sent her body backwards and slouched on the couch and patted her stomach. Her head tilted the left and rested on his shoulder.

"It was all right," Nathan said, as he slouched down with her.

"Oh, don't try and down play it," Haley laughed. "You were bonding with Chris."

"I was not."

"I was there the whole conversations we had. You were warming up to him."

"Mmm, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Okay, denial looks cute on you now, but not in the future."

Nathan smirked and looked down at his best friend and her version of a smirk. They sat in silence while watching whatever syndicated show was on when they turned on the Plasma. Haley snuggled closer into him and sighed, which caught Nathan's attention. He looked down to see a far-away look in her facial expression and he frowned a little. He bent his head a little to peck the top of her hair and nudged her a little.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"I'm thinking," Haley paused. "That I like Chris a lot."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He's really sweet, Nathan. A little quirky, but maybe I'm attracted to that since it seems to be a pattern."

"Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with you; your attraction to quirkiness can be cured, Hales. Just let me make that doctor's appointment."

"Shut up!" She laughed.

He laughed along with her. "I'm glad," he said.

"Really? You always seemed annoyed with him."

Nathan thought back from earlier. The way Chris said he understood their friendship and the way he defended Haley made him thought there may be something bigger to Chris Keller. Maybe Chris was that somebody Haley was looking for.

"There may be another side to Chris that I was blinded by from before," Nathan reluctantly admitted.

"Ahh!" Haley squealed. "I knew you were starting to like him!"

"I never admitted anything!"

Haley laughed and pressed her lips against his cheek and kissed him long to the point where Nathan cringed at how hard she pressed and the wet spot that was forming. She ended the kiss with a loud pop and ran down the hallway where Nathan assumed her destination was to her bedroom to text Brooke "Slutastic" Davis. He rolled his eyes but a permanent grin etched onto his face as he reached for the remote to find some kind of fighting violence on TV.

**End Chapter 6. Please review if you'd like. It's picking up!**

**CAli**


	7. The Falling Deep

Each Other's Comfort

**I know I'm infamous – like I told you most in PMs – but I like to think I deliver after an absence. Let's hope I did. I told most that it was a slow build-up in this chapter and I think I delivered the spoilers although you might get a little frustrated. I'd be too, if I was a third party to the ridiculous Nathan and Haley. But I really do hope I delivered in terms of quality and I hope you all enjoy. Read and review, if you'd like.**

**CAli**

Chapter 7 – Falling Deep

**6:15 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Haley's name was at the tip of Nathan's tongue and he opened his mouth to call her name when he opened the door. Her name stopped short when he heard the melody drifting throughout the apartment. He stopped in the middle of the threshold and slumped his shoulders a little as he really listened.

It was absolutely beautiful.

His gym bag slowly dropped to the floor and he leaned against the edge of the door as his eyes squinted and his head bowed so his ear could really concentrate. A small smile graced his lips that grew as the music drifted in a flightless ride. The different sounds Haley made conveyed to him the beauty of a story. Even as the sounds she produced seemed all over the place, they held this captivance that made him the only person to understand; that this music and he had this special secret.

Nathan smirked and finally moved from his spot. He dropped his gym bag right next to the door, closed the door and locked it and walked down the hallway until he made it to Haley's cave. He appeared at the doorway and watched his roommate be intensely immense in her MacBook. He stayed there just staring.

**6:30 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Haley felt her eyes fluttered. Her brain screamed at her to focus – that the pitch _needed_ to be just right – but her eyes were not cooperating. Her eyelids seemed to be favoring fluttering than keeping still and a thought tiredly floated throughout her mind.

_You're falling asleep. Take a break._

With a deep sigh, her arms reached up accordingly and her hands cupped her face. Her muscles twitched as her body told her to reach up and stretch. Her back arched as her muscles tightened then relaxed in a pop and she realized just how stiff she was from being hunched over her laptop. She counted back the hours that could cause such a chain reaction in the muscles of her back. She's been close to ten hours working on her inspired music sample as a part of her compilation of her final portfolio; it's been close to two hours since she stretched or took some sort of small break.

She moaned as her body stayed suspended in stretch before she slowly exhaled and her chest back to gravity. She flinched when she turned her chair.

"How long have you been working on it?" Nathan said with a smile.

She gave him a look while he stayed rooted in the doorframe and kept her hand to her chest. "Jesus Christ, Nate," she said.

"I could've murdered you fifteen minutes ago."

"That's how long you've been standing there?"

He nodded. "When's the last time you took a break?"

She shrugged and gave him her famous "I don't know look." One side of her lips corked up as the bottom adjacent stayed down in a weird half-pout. Her nose went in the same direction of her upper lip and Nathan has told her more than once she looked like constipated emoticon. She always shrugged off his rudeness as misplaced honesty.

"Maybe two or three hours ago," she said.

"No wonder you look like Lady Gaga hung-over. Let's get some food in your stomach, crazy."

"Can we see Brooke?"

"Why are we going to Hell?"

She rolled her eyes. "Nathan. I haven't seen her in a couple days and I want to make sure she didn't pull the store down the hole since it's kinda the only job I have at the moment. Plus, I want mall food."

"Are your bosses retarded? Why would they hire a slut, let alone a slut with the attention span that's lower than an ADD kid?"

"Nate! She's just easily distracted!"

"Whatever. Just as long as you get food in your stomach and I get two minutes of insulting her without you hitting me."

She pouted. "Thirty seconds."

He rolled his eyes and stomped his foot a little. "Fine! Jesus Christ, why are you so _nice_?"

**7:00 p.m. – Westfield West Covina Mall. Food Court**

"I fucking love Chinese food," Nathan belched.

"You're such a gentleman," Haley said, as she rolled her eyes.

"Only towards you, sweetheart." He winked at her.

She laughed one of her special laughs and he genuinely smiled in return. It was times like these that made him happy. His best friend had this serene front to her that made him just want to be better. He didn't know what made him specifically want to be better but when he saw his best friend happy, a feeling fluttered all around his body and he liked it. Simply put, he wanted that feeling all the time.

"Do I have something on my face?" Haley said and he shook his head a little to break the trance he was in.

"No," he said. "I'm just happy for you."

"Why?" She gave a sweet smile.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's that weird roommate thing, you know? You're happy, so I'm happy. Some telekinesis-hormones-type shit."

She inhaled and tilted her head and frowned a little, her signature "you're a weirdo" look. "I think that has to do with females and their periods synchronized."

He scrunched his face in dismissal. "Whatever. We got some ESP shit."

"Okay, Einstein."

He curled his upper lip in mock anger and took a mouthful of orange chicken. Haley stuck her tongue out in retaliation and also scooped up some fried rice with some cooked vegetables. A few minutes of silence passed as they contently ate their food while the bustle of the area filled their ears. Chatter of gossip nonsense, Asian workers chasing down patrons of samples of their chicken, and kids begging their parents for a cookie from the sugar shop was what Nathan saw before his gaze trailed back to his best friend, who had her head down as she wolfed down her dinner. He softly smiled as he just observed her.

He noticed her looked up and returned the soft smile. For just that slowed moment – when time seemed to slow down – they just smiled at each other. The next thing Nathan knew was that time resumed and all the chatter around them flooded his ears. Haley dropped her plastic fork and leaned back in her chair and he mirrored her actions. She stretched long and hard, noise and all, and was oblivious to the strange looks they got. His lips subconsciously cracked open and his signature smirk appeared as he watched. When she was done, her arm lazily slapped down on the table and her fingers lightly scratched the back of his hand.

"Where's your head?" She asked.

"Your song," he said, honestly.

"Oh, yeah," she ducked her head and slowly rolled her eyes. "I'm just messing around something new."

"It's amazing. Truly."

"You're biased, hun."

"Don't do this to yourself!" He groaned. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"You're supposed to encourage me."

"No, I'm supposed to give you constructive criticism with brutal honesty to encourage you. I'm serious. It's amazing."

"You really think so?"

He scoffed hard. "I know so, bitch."

She laughed and gave him a look. "Truly a gentleman."

He chuckled before he looked away then back at her. He leaned forward and grabbed her hand with his thumb massaging her skin. He looked at her with adoration in his deep-blue eyes.

"You're gonna get an A, like you always do. That melody: some of your best. Something different from you but totally you in a sense. You're gonna blow the music scene, you understand me?"

She ducked her head in that shy manner and her brown eyes shined with that encouragement. She bit her lip and squinted her eyes a little and he knew she was debating on telling him something. He wanted to be impatient and call her out on it, but her look made him washed every single cell that held impatience his body had with just one cleansing breath.

"I really like that piece," she quietly confessed.

"Yeah?" He whispered with a grin. "You should."

"Would it be wrong if I said it was my favorite?"

"Hell fucking no!" He scoffed.

She looked away then made eye contact with him with a raised eyebrow. "I was inspired by Chris for it?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. His art really got to me. I think… I think I'm falling deep."

Her smile grew big and almost lit up the room. He smiled back, but it wasn't as big as hers.

**3:15 p.m. – West Covina Mall**

"I'm going to need you to stop using that evil pout," Nathan grumbled.

"It's not evil," Haley retorted. "You're just mad because you can't resist it."

"Why do you even drag me to these stupid shopping trips when you know I'm just gonna complain?"

"Because you don't make me try on slutty clothes like Brooke does."

Nathan stopped his useless browsing on the kiosk Haley was parading around and looked at every single sunglasses there was on display. He stopped fingering the nose bend of some douche-y looking sunglasses when his best friend said that. He frowned deep and narrowed his eyes as images conjured of Haley in slut-ware and males within the vicinity checking her out. His fists subconsciously squeezed.

"I'm going shopping with you from now on," he grunted.

"You mean, can you go shopping with me from now on," she gave him a raised eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Toe-may-to, toe-mah-to."

She laughed as she twirled around the kiosk. "Yeah, you wish."

She was chuckling at him as he scoffed along with a genuine smile when her laughter suddenly stopped. Throughout the loudness of the mall and the thousands of people that walked by them, he heard the screech of her sneakers as she suddenly stopped. He frowned when he never heard anything from her and turned the corner.

"Hales, what—" He began.

"Shit, it's Steve," she said just above her breath.

"The social retarded guy you dated?"

She quickly turned around. "You gotta kiss me."

"What?"

"He thinks we're in love, okay? That was my excuse when I broke up with him and you need to kiss me so maybe he doesn't notice me and even if he does then he knows I didn't just use an excuse. Kiss me!"

"Can't you duck your head and turn your body like a normal person?" He loud-whispered.

"Kiss me!"

He opened his mouth for another argument when she forcefully propelled her body forward, hooked her fingers on the back of his neck, pulled him down and kissed him hard. He instantly reacted and moved his lips to add pressure on her top lip. One, two strokes and his tongue instantly slipped inside her mouth and massaged her own tongue. His hands automatically tightened across her lower back as he pulled her closer and she moaned low as her hands clutched on both sides of her neck. They breathed through their nose as his hot breaths mixed with hers and something exploded inside him.

He couldn't pinpoint this feeling but it was this extra pressure that pushed against the interior of his body. It was like this pressure fought and clawed to get closer to Haley, who pushed her body more into him. Feeling her body pressed so close – even though they were no strangers to close proximity – made the pressure combust and he found that he wanted that feeling again. But when he tried to chase that feeling, everything became reality.

"Haley?"

They broke apart in the slowest way possible as she slowly ripped herself away from him. They shared a moment as they just looked at each other's eyes in wonderment before his best friend realized her name was called. Her eyes widened and he mirrored only his was slightly less big. He conveyed with his eyes to react, and to react now as his head subtly tilted towards the boy who called her.

She quickly turned around with a breathless laugh and greeted her ex with too much faux-happy greeting to Nathan's ears. But he kept his face stoic as she and Steve and awkwardly hugged and she stayed on her tippy toes and clasped her hands in front of her; a classic sign to him that she was way nervous. Steve, however, didn't seem to catch on which raised his temperature. It was another reason why none of these boys deserved his best friend; they never noticed the simple things like her mannerisms when they were around. But he kept his mouth shut as he stayed close to her.

"How are you?" Steve said.

"I-I'm good. You?"

Steve shuffled his feet and ticked his neck a little before he made eye contact with her and nodded before he guffawed and giggled. Nathan raised his eyebrow at this. What grown man giggled? Well, _boy_, but still. What male would giggle?

"I'm good," Steve said. He widened his hands in a look-at-you gesture. "You look amazing!"

"Thanks! You clean up well," Haley smiled.

Once she said this, Nathan took the opportunity to really analyze the dorky ex. He remembered Steve well, just like all the others. He stayed on the bottom of the social ladder his whole life, had the social awkwardness that some geeks would consider the best. He had a bad habit of not keeping any eye contact for longer than two seconds and hunched his shoulders. It was like he was physically allergic to people and could only stand so much.

But here he was, dressed up nice and actually made eye contact then more than two seconds. Haley would call him impeccable now, but he wouldn't go that far. He wore a striped polo instead of a vintage batman shirt and khaki shorts instead of maroon skinny jeans like when he first met him. His hair wasn't shaggy anymore, instead with a nice, short 'do that he probably got at _SuperCuts_.

"Thanks," Steve said, and then his eyes drifted to Nathan. "Nathan," he said as he stuck out his hand.

Nathan raised his eyebrow in wary as he took a step forward closer to Haley and she subtly elbowed him in his stomach. He barely grunted, slightly rolled his eyes and clasped his hand into his. He took a hard grip to him and was mildly surprised when he squeezed back. He grunted his name and narrowed his eyes when Steve's lingered a little too long.

"You guys still together?" Steve asked, rhetorically.

"Um, yeah," Haley said, cutting in. "About what?" She looked at Nathan with raised eyebrows. "Six—"

"Six months," Nathan finished for her, as he nodded.

They mentally calculated the last time they saw him and Haley widened her eyes as a thank you and with a subtle nod that he was correct. His left hand casually slipped over her left hip and he pulled her close. She automatically leaned into his side.

Steve's gaze lingered between them before his eyes flicked back to his best friend and he gently smiled. Nathan's eyes followed down to Haley's and noticed she nervously licked her lips. His fingers flexed into her skin to relax her and her soft sigh followed by her right arm sliding across his back and hugged him tighter told him she was calming down.

"I'm happy for you," Steve said. "Breaking up with me for him was probably the best thing in my life, honestly."

"Really?" Haley couldn't stop the surprise from her voice even if she wanted to.

Nathan scrunched up his face a little too at the revelation. He imagined they both had twin reactions in wide eyes and scrunched muscles in their faces. Steve just stayed calm in his explanation as a huge grin broke out on his face.

"Yeah, you two made me realize that I'm gay. I'm in a relationship now. I've wanted to thank you but I always thought it would be awkward calling you, you know?"

"And this isn't awkward?" Nathan muttered.

He felt a hard pinch on his side as Haley smiled big and spoke to Steve with a genuine care in her voice. "That's great," she said. "I'm very happy for you."

"Thank you," Steve said. "Coffee sometime?"

"Are you shitting me?" Nathan blurted.

Haley stomped her foot as hard as she could and he felt a slight searing pain that originated from his big toe. He clasped his lips together to stop the groan and his best friend continued to talk with her ex with a serene smile on her face.

"That would be great," she said. "My number is still the same."

"Great!" Steve laughed. "I'll call you sometime."

He opened his arms wide for a big hug and she hesitated before she detached herself from him and Nathan frowned at the loss contact. Steve engulfed her and he had to swallow down the growl at how stiff she looked, which gave him the tall-tell sign that she was uncomfortable. It didn't matter if he was gay; he was still a douche for not noticing her normal tics. Asshole never appreciated her even if he credited her "cheating" as enlightenment to his gayness.

He finally let her go and she immediately went back to his side, which he comfortably switched his arm from her hips to her shoulders. Without thinking, he leaned down and chastely kissed her hair. Her arm squeezed his body back and he felt the comfortableness settled in. Steve softly smiled at them and made a gesture that he was gonna leave and promptly turned on his heel and walked away. After a few minutes, Haley broke the silence.

"I can't believe I turned him gay," she said.

"Forget homo-douche. I can't believe you kissed me in public," he said with a raised eyebrow.

She left his embrace and faced him with wide eyes.

"Whoops," she said.

**7:45 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"Nate," Haley whined as she plopped down next to him on their couch.

Nathan stopped pressing his index finger on the page down button on the remote and paused for a second. His eyes slowly drifted to his right where Haley dropped like a sack of potatoes and felt her arms folded on top of his shoulder. The pout he barely saw in his vision but knew was full-on made him dropped the remote with a loud clang against the wooden coffee table. He groaned loud and reclined back into the sofa.

"Let's go out," she said in a baby voice.

"Don't you have the three-douche-amigos for that?" He asked with a pout as he turned his head to look at her.

"Um, we haven't hung out just us in a long while and Chris isn't in town."

"So that's why," he rolled his eyes. "Chris isn't in town, that's why you want to hang out?"

"No!" She said, indignantly with wide eyes. "It just so happens that Chris isn't in town which gave me the perfect opportunity to think that we haven't just hung out the two of us and haven't talked about what happened with Steve."

She said the last part of her mini speech in a quiet voice, which gave him the universal sign that the incident two weeks before bothered her. She didn't want to "talk" about Steve; she wanted simply to forget which meant getting trashed together. He softened at the connection because he knew how his best friend worked. She was questioning everything again about her dating life and there was no way in hell she could ask advice from Brooke or even the guy she liked which probably wouldn't take too kindly that she acted so slutty. Nathan's reasoning was far from slutty behavior and she needed to hear that over drinks.

He took a breath and released it with one motion before he craned his head back and puckered his lips. His lips made contact with the corner of her forehead and they both closed their eyes at the contact. She opened her eyes first and when he felt her gaze he opened his to warm brown eyes. Her smile didn't show her teeth but he knew it was genuine.

"Let's go out," he said, quietly.

"Thanks, Nate," she said as equally as quiet.

"What would you do without me?" He smirked.

She chuckled. "I'd die."

He slouched down more and rested his head on her shoulder. In reaction, she looped her arms around his neck and lightly scratched. His left hand reached up to her shirt and his fingers lightly traced the material of the left side of her chest.

"I'm here always," he said.

She swallowed and one of her hands slipped down from his neck to the left side of his chest.

"I'm here forever," she said.

**3:00 a.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"I turned a man gay!" Haley giggled as she stumbled through the door.

Nathan was right behind her and in the same predicament. He tripped over Haley's feet as he tried to rush her in and guffawed in an unattractive way. Haley's laugh grew louder when he grabbed her waist and pulled her close once he caught himself. His hot breath and giggles invaded the side of her neck and she tilted her head to the side in response. He walked them further into their hallway before his hand blindly reached out behind him to close the door.

"You really did!" Nathan said with a slurred laugh before he snorted, which made Haley burst in another fit of giggles.

They walked until they were in the kitchen, which was the closest room to them. Walking was such a feat in their predicament because they were beyond smashed. It also didn't help the fact that Nathan kept them close together and forced them to walk with the same stride of steps, which wasn't easy. He kept his arms tight around her waist and his upper body practically hunched as he laughed into her neck and pressed light kisses every time there was a catch in his laughter. His best friend was in no better shape, as she kept her hands tightly grasped around his arms at her stomach and was taking small steps to his large ones, which caused him to step on her heels.

Finally in the kitchen, Nathan slightly bent Haley into the counter and kept his body closely behind hers. After her giggle-fit, she moaned and subconsciously bent her back forward, which pushed her ass into his crotch. His hands immediately unwrapped from her waist and she was able to grip the edge of the counter. He never allowed time, as his hands went from her hips, trailed up her sides to her shoulders and traced her arms until his fingers intertwined hers from behind. In response to her moan, he gave a slight groan and bit her shoulder.

She turned around and he let go of her hand and made eye contact and made eye-contact to her lust-filled look. Her palms pressed down on the edge of the counter and she jumped up for a boost, while his hands went to her hips and helped. The moment she was safely on the counter, she fisted his shirt and pulled him toward her. He gladly accepted her heated kiss, tongue clashing and all.

They left the apartment at eleven p.m. and promptly spent the first hour talking about Haley's predicament. And by talking, what really went down was him listening as she poured her heart and soul (complaining) about Steve and how Chris hadn't text all day, which was unusual since they at least said hi through next every day. Nathan offered the common sense side (that he was busy with the art exhibit and maybe time got the best of him) which she concluded made sense after a shot and mojito. She didn't understand why she was making a big deal over it though and promptly gave her his no-bullshit answer.

"_Maybe because you were the one who was always busy?" He asked. "Sucks being on the other side, doesn't it?"_

He simply told her not to sweat it, just like with Steve. Okay, so, he turned out to be gay. It didn't necessarily mean she turned him gay. He probably was repressed and tried so hard to date girls to deny his sexuality. The problem was he was a social-geek-outcast so the moment she showed interest he pounced on the opportunity. When he got dumped, maybe that was his wake-up call that the-ignoring-you're-gay part wasn't working out for him. He would never get a girl like Haley, so he might as well stop trying and embrace his true-self. He concluded in his normal crass manner.

"_You should be fucking proud you paved the right path for him!"_

After the consoling part of their night and Haley concluding that he was right (_I'm always fucking right!)_ they went right into the part of their night where they got beyond smashed. Many, many drinks filled the three hours they were at the bar (thanks to the ladies-drink-free special) and a lot of dirty dancing where the club section boomed music. In the back of his mind, he knew it probably wasn't the best idea to get this smashed – due to their history of hooking up when it happens – because of her blossoming crush on Chris but goddamnit, whatever to make her happy he was going to do. And she was right; they haven't just hung out just them in a public outing in quite a while.

So here they were, heavily making out in their kitchen and about to make the same actions they always do when a lot of alcohol was involved. Thoughts swirled in his mind about her and it should have concerned him that maybe the thoughts of stopping were supposed to be front and center. But all that was dominant was the simple question of whether or not to take her in the kitchen.

Her hands trailed down his shirt and under where her nails lightly scratched his abs. All he thought about was how good it felt and how much he couldn't wait to feel her skin, since it was almost six months ago that he got to feel every inch of her body. His hands gripped both sides of her neck and he plunged his tongue deeper in her mouth and circled hers before massaging with up strokes. One, two, three strokes and he broke apart when he felt his shirt lifted from his upper body.

He helped taking off his shirt and the moment the material passed his head he dipped his head to her neck and his lips immediately sucked a patch of skin into his mouth. Her hands when back to his upper body and her fingers lightly brushed then pulled against his nipples and in return, he hissed at the same time his fingers gripped the hem of her shirt. On instinct, his teeth latched on the skin her neck provided and sucked hard and as long as he could until her shirt reached his head, where he blocked the material.

He let go the skin with a pop and removed her shirt. "Nathan," she moaned.

With a soft moan himself, he tilted his head and went back to her mouth where he controlled the kiss, although she put up a huge fight for the dominance with her tongue going in different directions that drove him crazy. He squeezed her breasts, which she responded with a huge moan escaping her mouth and allowed him to win the battle. Her legs hooked behind his thighs and pulled him closer, which he slightly groaned to.

He couldn't take it anymore and finally decided to take to his bedroom where the protection was. That was the ultimate decision since he couldn't risk unprotected sex with his best friend, even though he knew they were both clean. A pregnancy would be about the end of the world for both of them at the moment. With one sweeping move, Nathan wrapped his large arms around her waist, pulled and lifted. Her legs immediately wrapped around his angular hips as he walked them out of the kitchen and towards his bedroom.

"My room," she whispered against his lips. "I want you. It's closer."

He shook his head. "Condoms in my room," he whispered before his tongue plunged back into her mouth.

She moaned in response and her fingers gripped tighter on his hair.

**11:45 am – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"_Do it. You feel so good inside me," Haley moaned._

"God_! It's like Heaven being with you like this!" Nathan grunted as he thrusted in a steady rhythm._

"_Keep going."_

"_You're fucking amazing."_

"_Don't ever stop. My pussy loves your dick."_

"_You're so fucking sexy when you talk dirty."_

"_Stay with me, Nathan. Keep going, I'm almost there."_

"_Let me see your beautiful face when you cum, Hales. I need it."_

Nathan woke up with a start because the sunlight shined directly on his eyelids. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dim the room provided because of the curtains but groaned when the sunlight filtered through the slits and stayed on his face. He rolled over and his arms wrapped around his pillow and he gave a satisfied moan. His eyes closed in that dazed droop and the memories of last night flashed through his mind like a flipbook.

He spent a few minutes light dozing before he heard the light click on in the bathroom, which automatically turned on the fan. His eyes flitted open and he happily sighed as a lazy smile graced his lips when he thought about Haley. He stayed in bed for a couple more minutes before he took a deep breath and with all his strength despite the slight hangover he had, pushed himself up until he was adajacent to his bed and got up.

He grabbed his discarded boxers from the floor and slipped them on before he noticed an ice cold glass on his nightstand along with two red pills. He appreciatively smirked before he scooped the pills and swallowed several gulps of water before he made his way to the bathroom. His tense muscles started to relax as he stretched and lightly scratched his chest when he appeared in the doorway of their shared bathroom.

Haley was standing in the middle of the room, concentrated on the mirror as she applied foundation to the side of her neck. He leaned against the doorframe as he silently watched her with a soft smile on his lips. She made eye-contact with him through the mirror and gave him a tight-lipped smile. He frowned a little and actually started to look at her full profile through the mirror instead of her face. She was fully dressed but there was sadness in her expression.

He raised an eyebrow and step further into the room until he was directly behind her. His fingers walked down her arms until his left hand grasped her make-up and his right hand laced through hers on the countertop. His head nuzzled the other side of her neck. She sighed and relaxed her whole body against his.

"Morning," he mumbled then lightly kissed her neck.

"Morning, Nate," she breathed a sigh and closed her eyes.

He smiled because all the tension in her body seemed to disappear when he was around. He loved that he was the only one who was able to do that. He closed his eyes at the comfort they both radiated off each other and he knew his hot breaths tickled her neck but she gave no sign that it bothered her. He opened his eyes when he felt that she opened hers and his hazy blue met her golden brown. She gave him the same tight-lipped smile.

"I did some damage to your neck, huh?" He said.

"Yeah, but it's okay," she said, softly. "It's just a little more foundation that usual."

"Here, let me."

He lightly forced her hand away from the make-up and guided her hand down onto the countertop. He dipped his fingers in the goo and feathered his fingers onto the purple color that marred her neck. He had that soft touch that kept his best friend still as she silently watched him do his work. For a few minutes, he worked the make-up onto her skin until it was to the point of perfection.

"You got good at this," she said when he was almost done.

"You taught me well," he gave her a short smile before he went back to focus on her neck.

He referenced when his dad beat him up and she taught him how to use foundation to cover the bruises. At the time, they thought it was better to cover up the evidence then have a bunch of people ask what was going on. Looking back, they were probably taking the easy way out but all he wanted in life at the moment was to succeed in basketball and have his best friend at his side.

Haley gave him a sympathetic smile through the mirror at the memory when she first applied the make-up to his bruises all over his arms and eye. He smirked at her in return and she relaxed her body more into him and sighed.

"How are you with him?" She asked. "I know as of late it's been all about me and it's basketball season so of course Dan is on your butt."

He shrugged. "I'm okay, so far. It hasn't got to the point like a month ago. But you'll be the first to know when it does."

"I'm sorry he's your father."

"I am too, Hales."

He gave her a reassuring smile and continued to apply the make-up when she returned his smile with the same mega-watt smile he knew defined his best friend. He was glad she was starting to return to normal. They stayed silent until he was done and he decided to talk again.

"So why aren't you in bed with me?" He asked with a joking smirk.

She didn't give him her flirty smile back. "Chris called. He wants to meet up later."

Realization hit him like a flying baseball. He raised both his eyebrows and his mouth shaped to a verbalized "oh" that he never said. She somberly nodded back.

"That's why you look sad," he said.

"I don't know, Nathan," she sighed. "I really like him and I can't shake the feeling that I cheated on him last night even though that makes no sense. What if he finds out about us? Then I'm truly am a slut."

Nathan angrily scoffed and laced his left hand through hers from behind and squeezed. He made eye-contact with her through the mirror with an intense gaze and practically growled.

"Don't you ever fucking call yourself that ever again," he said. "You're nothing but."

"I feel like it."

"You're not! Look, are you going to tell him about us?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. He wouldn't understand."

"Exactly. He wouldn't understand our special relationship. And you're not official so you didn't cheat on him. You're a beautiful, talented woman who deserves the best from men. If Chris isn't secure enough in himself, then he's not worth it. And from what I can tell from the guy, he has no qualms about us. He understands that we're strictly best friends with a special connection. He won't judge you."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she whispered.

"He won't," he said with conviction. "And if he does, no matter how cool he may seem, I will kick his ass to Asia. No one makes my best friend feel bad about herself."

She closed her eyes at his words and they just stayed like that for probably the longest time. Nathan kept her close and nuzzled her neck as she relaxed into his body. Finally, her arms moved from the countertop and guided his arms around her waist as she readjusted her head so his face could bury deeper into her neck. He breathed in several times as his arms squeezed her tight into him. They stayed like that until she lightly broke away from his grip and went right back into his body in a full-frontal hug. He reciprocated without question and kissed her cheek.

"I'd die without you," she whispered into his ear.

He broke the hug but kept their foreheads together as his hand gripped her left shoulder. Subconsciously, his hand slipped down until his palm covered a part of her chest where something rhythmically thumped against her skin.

"I'm here always," he whispered back.

Her hand mirrored his and slid down from his left shoulder until her palm covered the left side of his chest.

"I'll be here forever."

**End Chapter 7.**

**I know you all must hate me. Let me know your emotions in a review and I will try to explain myself. Review if you'd like.**

**CAli**


	8. The Be Proud

Each Other's Comfort

**I know, I know. You all must hate me, but it's 15 pages long ****. Hope it delivers. Read and review if you'd like.**

**CAli**

Ch. 8 – Be Proud

**8:50 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan frowned when he heard the door opened then slammed shut. He quickly made a note of the digital time on the DVR and his frown deepened. Suddenly, arms wrapped around his neck before he felt the couch dip and his favorite smell invaded his nostrils. He chuckled a little as his upper body immediately leaned into Haley's and his lips automatically puckered against the top of her head.

"I thought you were meeting Chris," he mumbled into her hair.

"He cancelled last minute," she said and he frowned when he heard the pout.

He whipped his head back and his eyes narrowed. What the fuck? This was the second time he cancelled in the last week and every time seemed to depress his best friend in just the slightest and he was getting pissed off about it. Haley should never – and he meant _never_ – feel depressed over a guy. He felt his anger brewing in the base of veins and slowly build in his blood as his blood pressure rose. He wanted to call up Chris now but Haley snuggled deeper into him and his anger simmered back down.

"What the fuck is his problem," he said his tone perfect for pissed off.

"It's fine, Nate."

"Uh, no, it's not. That's twice this week. He should be clearing his schedule for you."

"We're not dating," she reminded him.

He scoffed. "Whatever. You seemed pretty excited you were going out tonight."

She shrugged. "Eh, it's whatever."

She finally turned her head up to look at him and he frowned again at the slight disappointed in her eyes. Before he could call her out on it, though, she smiled her only smile for him and he felt something move inside him. He never questioned the feeling, though, because it's been there for a while now.

"I'm kinda glad he did," she continued. "Your hickey is still there and it just feels weird hanging out with him trying to hide it." She did her famous "I don't know" face and he cracked up. "Shut up! I don't look like a constipated emoticon!" She laughed right along with him and smacked his chest.

His long arm lifted and reached across her shoulder and pulled her closer into his side while he continued to chuckle. He squeezed a long moment before her head rested on his shoulder and he laid his head on top of hers. After he calmed down and he looked down and stared until she lifted her head again and made eye contact.

"Are you okay that he cancelled?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I don't have to cover up the evidence what we did and I feel I'm kinda disrespecting you by doing it."

"Why?" He asked, genuinely confused, which came out as a scoff.

"I don't know," she said. "For some reason, I've been kinda feeling dirty; like covering up the hickey is like me subconsciously admitting I regret what we did and I don't. But I like Chris and I don't want him to know what we do because I'm afraid he's just going to be like the others. You know, that he's gonna leave the moment he feels like there's competition with you. I really like him, Nate, but I don't want to explain anything to him because we're not dating."

"Then don't explain anything."

"Then why do I feel like I'm a horrible person because I started a relationship by lying from the very beginning?"

"You girls are confusing."

"So are you boys! Look, I'm emotional person, okay? I can't help it."

"That's your problem, Hales. You're too nice and worried about what these guys would think of you because you act just like us when it comes to relationships. Babe, the truth is, we're not mature and we feel threatened when we get played because that's supposed to be our memo. No one understands our relationship but us. And that should only matter, right?"

She paused and bit her lip. He genuinely smiled at her to relax her and his fingers danced on her shoulders. Finally, she nodded and licked her lips and he couldn't control his eyes as they darted down to her movement and he made eye contact again.

"You're right," she said. "Anyway, I think it's better we avoid each other for now. I want to display this hickey proud because I am proud of you. I don't regret what we do, Nate."

His mouth formed into his signature cocky smirk. "I know that."

"Don't be too proud," she scoffed.

He chuckled as he squeezed her shoulder again and his fingers danced across and she hummed her approval. She snuggled deeper into him and inhaled his shirt.

"You smell good," she mumbled.

"I know," his smirk was fully in his tone.

She pulled her body away from his and smacked the left side of his chest where the rhythm inside that side of his chest thumped in just the slightest faster beat. She kept her hand there as her thumb and index finger went to twist his nipple on the other side.

"You know I'm here always but sometimes you're such a jerk!"

He called out when she successfully twisted his nipple and he easily overpowered her; wrestling her wild arms with one hand while grabbing her thigh with the other and pushing her down to the other side of the couch. He pinned her down easily with his weight and tickled her left side of her chest with feather-like finger-tips and stopped mid-way as her chest rapidly moved up and down with all the laughter she exuded. His other hand moved against the side of her bucking body as he tickled her.

"And you know I'll be here forever but I'm going to tickle you until you lose your voice!"

"Nathan! Stop!"

Her laughter turned into screeches but he still continued his assault. Their mixed laughter echoed throughout their apartment and was so loud they couldn't hear the banging from the wall.

**6:00 p.m. – Pauley Pavilion, UCLA**

Nathan tiredly exhaled after an excruciating practice. His legs literally felt like they were going to melt to liquid with all the running and his arms and shoulders were planning revenge for the strain of pain they were put through with the weights. He flinched when he had to lift his gym bag, even though it was feather-light, onto his shoulder. He made his way out of the locker room when his coach hollered from the middle of the room that a two-a-day practice was scheduled tomorrow.

His face literally scrunched up in pain and he closed his eyes to stop the tears of fear. He faintly heard his teammates that tried to leave turn around and tried to plead with their coach. He knew it was no use; coach was in his moods and he was just going have to be a pussy inside his head because complaining was just going to make it worse. He grumbled his good-bye and wobbled out.

He was in tunnel way, his ear buds already snug in his ear and he was fiddling with his cell phone to get his music player up when he heard his favorite angelic voice.

"Hey hot stuff," Haley said as she leaned against the wall. She pushed herself up as she grinned up at him.

His pleasant surprise erased all the pain he felt from practice and he pulled his ear buds out and wrapped the cord around the back of his neck as he walked a little bit faster to get to her. Despite how sore his body felt, he opened his arms wide as she walked into his embrace and he bear-hugged her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, as he kept her feet off the ground.

"Your coach is usually in one of his moods this time of the year so I decided to surprise you with a special trip."

"How special is this trip?" He mumbled into her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

"Hey, Nate, you got your girl to meet you?" A teammate asked as he came up behind him.

Nathan immediately turned his head and glared as he set his best friend down. The guy laughed at his expression and went to hug Haley as she laughed with him and exchanged the same polite pleasantries.

"She's not my girl, Battle," Nathan responded but immediately draped his arm over Haley after he let her go.

"Uh-huh, then why are you so possessive?" He winked at Haley.

Nathan glared harder. "Tony, leave him alone," Haley giggled. "You know he doesn't understand the concept of teasing."

"Yeah, teasing and flirting with his girl and the two biggest no-no's with Scott, Tony," another teammate came up and all three turned to look. Haley squealed and jumped into his arms and he chuckled when Nathan glared at him. He smirked at him when he squeezed her and swung her side-to-side and full-out laughed when Nathan's glare got heavier.

"Shut up, Lucas," Nathan practically snapped. When Haley finished hugging his teammate he went right back to her side and draped his arm again across her shoulders. He shared equal glares at his two teammates who just stood there and grinned at each other like they knew the world's deepest secret. Haley just laughed with them and smiled her special smile at him and he kind of forgot about his teasing teammates.

"Oh, calm down, Captain," Lucas said. "We know, she's just your best friend and you're just protective."

"It's true."

Lucas turned to his best friend with a fond smile that made him grumble and Haley elbowed his side and if he wasn't so sore, he so wouldn't have showed the pain the jab sent through his side. He ignored her concerned look as he continued to glare at his teammate when he spoke to her.

"We're gonna see you at the conference game, right, Haley?"

Nathan looked down when she responded to him and noticed even though her smile was big it wasn't his special smile which for some reason, calmed whatever was stirring in his stomach.

"Yeah, Lucas," she said. "I wouldn't miss it for anything. Especially with this superstar." She snuggled into his side and he wrapped his arm around her tighter. Even though the hug ended, he still kept her there in his protective pouch.

"Good deal. We should all hang out afterwards. It's been way too long and I need to hear some of your music and see your bright smile."

"Watch yourself, Lucas," Nathan growled. "She's interested in someone else."

"Hey, she's a great girl, Nate. I can't help myself sometimes."

"Yeah, Nate," Tony cut in. "You might be able to scare off geeks, but you can't scare us off. She likes us too much." Lucas cackled with him and they slapped hands.

Haley playfully winked at them and seriously, he wasn't in the mood. One more crack about how he should make a move on the only person that mattered in his life and he was going to throw a hissy fit and stomp his foot. Yes, he would be like Lily if they teased him one more time. His whole body wanted to melt away and never be seen again and they were cutting in on some impromptu hang-out sesh with his best friend, which - quite frankly - was fucking epic, so yes, his mood was quickly spiraling into petty, whiny child mode.

Haley must've saw the look on his face and immediately recognized he was two seconds away from being a brat and gave both his teammates smiles that left them dazed for a second. Nathan smirked at how stupid they looked.

"All right, boys, I'm gonna take this party-pooper to get relaxed. I hope you guys aren't too sore from the grueling practice you must had today. I'll see y'all Saturday night and it can be a boys' night with me."

"All right, Haley." They both chimed.

She briefly hugged them good-bye and went straight to his side for an attempted bear-hug on her part that got him to laugh. They walked as one with her arm across his lower back as her fingers danced all over his damp skin and his fingers idly moving all over her right shoulder.

**7:45 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"Mmm. You're so fucking good at that." Nathan moaned his approval but was muffled because his face was buried in the pillow.

Haley's fingers traced up his back and dug into his skin and moaned again because the sensation was that damn good. The pads of her fingers found all the knots in his back in that upward trajectory and his back automatically arched. Haley laughed when she was moved up because of his butt but she never broke the path her fingers were on and slid her hands up his back again then spread in a wide circle to massage his shoulders.

"You're welcome," she teased.

"Thank youuuu!"

Nathan moved his head away from the pillow and exhaled deep. The scented candles she set up and the dim lights did wonders to his sore body. They were in the living room and she already had everything set up when they got home. She simply ordered him to strip his shirt and lie on his stomach on the couch. She lit the scented candles and turned off the lights and straddled his butt. Her phone rang once and before he could ask who it was, the ringtone was silenced and she reached for the bottle of massage oil. For the last half hour, she just ran her fingers up and down his back, his approval on the tip of his tongue every five minutes. Her hands were tiny and soft, it was probably his second best feature of her (besides her smile; that was always number one). He loved when she was caring like this; he was truly a spoiled brat because he was the only man she would be so attentive to like this. They both knew it but it was never said out loud. He doesn't know why now that he thought about it more.

Haley started to squeeze his shoulders and he instantly felt his muscles there tense and he took a deep breath to relax. He moaned again as he felt her work out the kinks and he exhaled like he was in ecstasy. She worked his shoulder muscles then moved her hands down to the middle of his back and started using her palms to massage the kinks out. He laid there and enjoyed every single kink being worked out and started to doze off. He was in that in-between of light sleeping to full knocked out when her phone went off again.

He opened his eyes again in time to see his best friend reach for the phone and he expected a hello out of her but the ringtone kept going and she put her phone back on the coffee table. He frowned slightly as she started working his lower back and he had to hold back the moan from the pressure relieving from that spot.

"You're not gonna answer it?" Nathan asked.

"I'm busy," Haley responded. "Your back is a mess."

He had an inkling who was calling and maybe he shouldn't mention who because the moment was too great to ruin when it was just the two of them but he's always been blunt and he wasn't going to stop now.

"Are you still avoiding Chris?"

Haley stopped the pressure for just a second but continued to massage his lower back, which seemed to have the most kinks with all the pressure she was putting there.

"It's not avoiding if I'm going to call him back."

He couldn't stop the smirk even if he tried. His girl was finally learning the dating game and he couldn't stop the feeling of proud that he was still number one even though he wasn't insecure that Chris would replace him. It was just… well, now that he focused on the subject, he wasn't exactly sure how to explain it. He was just happy that Haley was ditching Chris for him at the moment because this massage? This massage was probably the best fucking massage he ever had.

"I'm glad you're learning how to be mean, finally," he mumbled but then felt a sharp pain on his earlobe. "Ow!"

"You deserved it," she said, after she flicked his earlobe.

**7:00 p.m. – Pauley Pavilion, UCLA**

Nathan had two things on his mind. He was okay before he got on the floor for warm-ups; his mind was focused on just basketball and winning this game against their rival, USC. It was a hyped-up game, for sure, but his mind wasn't focused on the hostile environment with the USC fans or the cameras and commentators, he was zoned in on the key points he needed to do in order to win. There was tremendous pressure on him since he was on a game-high streak and he was on the verge of being UCLA's leading scorer in the past five years, surpassing some of the greats that made this school's basketball program a legend. Before the break he scored a career-high of 24 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists, and he planned on breaking the record tonight even though it was going to be a feat.

He was fine thinking about what he needed to do in order to beat his record and demolish USC and his chemistry with his team was riding high since the practice the night before. All he thought about was plays and what he needed to do to stop USC tough defense and run-and-gun offense when his phone went off. At first he didn't really notice it until Lucas asked if that was Haley's new music piece and he slightly frowned before the real world started flooding back in and he heard Haley's ring tone very clear. He shook his head slightly and reached for his phone and opened the text message. He smirked when he saw the hand-made poster of his previous stills of him dribbling the ball and dunking the ball with a ferocious look on his face then right in the middle was UCLA's colors scribbled in girly hand-writing "#23 is my hero!" Below the picture, simple words made him forget about his strategies.

_I'll be front and center cheering you on _

Now his mind was on his biggest cheerleader that was there through thick for 10 years now. He always mentioned her in interviews where her simple presence just made him want to play better. Every time they asked deeper, he would just have a smirk on his face and said he simply wanted his best friend to be proud of him. At one point, the media tried to make it a love story and tried to get her name but he wouldn't let it get that far, quoting this wasn't _Love & Basketball_; he just played better because his friend gave him strength and encouragement that he could be the best player UCLA will ever have in their rich history in basketball.

His coach called them for warm-ups and he made his way through the tunnels to the floor and waited for the cue where the team made the entrance for the fans and ESPN cameras. The intro video cued and he jogged in place with the ball at his hip as his teammates started to get hype because of the music. Finally, the video ended and he got his cue to lead his team and he ran out and immediately sunk in the environment of the cheers and boos of the fans. He felt his body being consumed by the energy as he formed the line for lay-ups then started the drill with a fancy opposite under-hand lay-up. As he jogged to the other side, his eyes trailed the first row in the middle section of the student seating and he grinned wide when he saw Haley cheering in the middle of the other student-fans. Her face had light blue and yellow paint with his jersey number on one side and his initials on the other and she wore the sponsored Bruins basketball shirt. She held her sign over the railing as she yelled his name and when they made eye contact, she winked at him. He winked back and was about to focus on the drills again when someone caught his eye that made him frown in the slightest.

Right next to Haley, with the same face paint only it had UCLA Bruins was Chris Keller, cheering as enthusiastically as his best friend, chanting his name.

Despite his momentary confusion, Nathan was still able to focus on the game and Haley at the same time. Every time he made a basket, forced a turnover, or fought for a rebound and the cheers deafened his ears, he was still able to hear Haley louder than the rest and every time he looked in her direction, they always made eye contact. Her huge smile fueled him and the proud glint in her eye before she winked at him made his determination build to intense levels. He wanted that bragging right, but more than anything he wanted his best friend to brag about him. It didn't matter with all the attention he got from ESPN or the pros; he wanted Haley to have pride shine on every pore of her skin saying that he was her best friend. It probably didn't make sense to most people, but it made sense to him and honestly, that's all that mattered.

The arena was at the loudest it's ever been. He heard his school cheer him on and the boos from the hostile fans of the other school. His whole body was damped with sweat and he knew his skin glistened under the hot lights and he literally felt the heat seep in his cheeks, but he still felt cool. There were in a time-out now – called by USC – after he made a beautiful dish to Lucas for an And-1. Lucas made the free throw then him and Tony went for the full-court press since they were tied. The whistle blew and signaled a time-out.

Nathan walked over to their side for the huddle and he looked up and made eye-contact with Haley. She was still cheering among her peers and when their eyes met she had only her smile for him plastered on her face. She mouthed he could do this and smiled back before he nodded. A bottle of Gatorade was waiting for him when he got his huddle and he took two large gulps before he grabbed his towel to wipe his face while his coach frantically scribbled on the white-board for their next play. He sat down and listened to his coach yell to be heard above the chants and he ran his fingers through his wet hair because of the sweat.

He made a face at the excess of sweat he was producing but absently wiped his hand on his shorts while his eyes focused on the white-board. He knew the play and started to zone out as he looked at the scoreboard. Thirty seconds until the end of the game and they needed to step up on the defense without fouling. He breathed through his nose as he half-listened to his coach but thought of other ways to get the ball back if the opportunity came. He accessed all the opponent's players on the floor and their weaknesses; something his father taught early in childhood. He went through his mental checklist of what weakness each player had and how he could take advantage. All too soon, his coach asked for verification and hands in. He shouted Bruins in a blur and went back on the floor and looked at which player had the ball for inbound play.

Once he saw who it was and the play being set up, Nathan whacked Tony's shoulder and nodded to the play. Tony looked and he shouted the jersey number he needed to cover for the play. He got into his position and waited for the whistle to blow again and the hard slap to the ball. Nathan quickly moved back and waited for their point guard to cross half-court and get to the three point line where he challenged. They passed the ball around as Nathan played his part right and he trusted his teammates not to foul, but not let them penetrate. The play was to force a three-point and get them frazzled. Lucas shouted 13 seconds and he knew the point guard was in the desperate need to get the shot off or dished inside since they had seven seconds before shot-clock violation.

His teammates stepped up a notch of aggressiveness on defense when the point guard dished to another guard on the wing and he stepped up to get in a mini-shoving match with the point guard. The point guard lightly pushed him away and he went to follow when Tony yelled screen but he ran into it too late. He shook the impact off and broke away. The point guard had enough time to get the ball back and launched himself up for a three-point. There was a collective gasp as the ball left the tips of fingers but before it could rotate to the basket, Nathan jumped with as much strength he had and the tips of his fingers blocked the ball. The ball went over the point guard's head as the crowd erupted in cheers and groans and he swore he heard Haley above everyone else as she screamed his name.

The ball bounced behind the point guard and he scrambled with him to get possession. Out of nowhere, Lucas bee-lined for the ball and made the fast-break, a defender right on him. Nathan broke away his guy and ran right behind his teammate and shouted that he was right behind him. In three strides Lucas was in the air for a lay-up with the defender jumping also with his hand up. Nathan thought a whistle was going to be blown for the blatant foul but the referees let the play go and next thing he knew, he was in the air also because the ball bounced a little too hard on the backboard and slightly tipped out of the front rim. He made the monster dunk over Lucas' defender who didn't collide with the cheerleaders like Lucas did. The buzzer sounded and the moment he got down from the rim, he was engulfed with his teammates.

The noise level disrupted decibels as UCLA fans jumped up and down causing a stampede-noise effect and through the crowd of his teammates and coaches all he saw Haley jumping into everyone's arms, including Chris's (whom he forgot was there,) then she turned to the floor and made eye-contact with him. He was raised onto the shoulders of several teammates and her smile for him seemed permanently etched onto her face.

"I love you," she mouthed before blowing him a kiss.

He had a huge grin on his face as she raised her sign above her head and jumped up and down with the crowd, chanting his name. They kept eye contact the entire celebration.

**10:00 p.m. – Enzo's Pizzeria**

Nathan entered the establishment with Lucas and Tony and cheers greeted his ears and he couldn't help but smirk. Many students would come here for the great pizza and of course the great UCLA sports and it was the favorite for him, Haley and his closest friends on the team. They were regulars since freshmen year and the place has gained great recognition the last four years and he loved it was because of him.

Nathan ate up the attention and took a few pictures with some fans before him and the boys took their designated circle booth. The owner of the place heartedly greeted them with hugs and brought out their drinks on cue and pouted when he noticed one crew member was missing.

"Where's Haley?" Dominic asked.

"Yeah, where is Hay Jay?" Tony turned to Nathan who non-chalantly shrugged even though he was secretly worried what was taking her so long.

"She'll be here soon," Nathan shrugged. "She's probably dumping her date since she knows it's our night."

Lucas slightly frowned at the mention of date and was about to comment on it when the bell ranged signaling a customer and a familiar voice powered over the loud chatter.

"Dom!" Haley screamed as she walked fast down the middle.

Dominic turned and laughed when she collided into his roly-poly body and kept her embraced in the hug as he swung her side to side. She laughed along with him and puckered her lips when he kissed both her cheeks and started giving her a hard time for ditching him for her music until basketball season. She took the ribbing good-naturally and even poked Dominic's shoulder, which was so squishy because of his large build, her finger disappeared for a second.

Nathan smiled at the whole exchanged and waited for his annual huge hug after a win when Lucas flicked his arm. He frowned was about to go off on him when he noticed that his teammate was frowning over Haley's shoulder and Lucas flickered his eyes to him for a second before he nodded his head to his line of sight. He noticed Tony having the same frowned upon look and he turned his head and his mouth parted as his eyes hardened in surprise.

Chris Keller was patiently standing behind Haley as she socialized with Dominic and Nathan's face muscles frowned deeper as his eyes trailed down and saw that Chris's hand was loosely laced with Haley's. Dominic didn't seem to notice, which deep down, Nathan couldn't blame because he was immediately smitten with his best friend the moment she walked into the establishment after Nathan's debut four years ago. Anger seemed to boil out of nowhere inside his veins at the sight of Chris and he couldn't really explain why. He liked Chris, but honestly, what the fuck was he doing here, in his place with his closest buddies, holding hands with his girl that was supposed to be a celebration night with just him and the boys? His eyes narrowed deeper as Chris smiled widen when Haley finally introduced him to Dominic.

Dominic kept his friendly manner in tact when he shook hands with Chris, but Nathan could tell that he didn't like him. He witnessed the undertone in Dominic's eyes and the long squeeze of Chris's scrawny hand as he asked how long he knew Haley. Dominic seemed to not like him simply because he came in with Haley and his anger seemed to go down a notch at that observation, but he could tell his body started to stiffen at the intrusion.

Nathan bit the inside of his cheek as Chris turned to him and heartedly greeted him before he introduced himself to his boys. He nodded once at him and watched as his boys were more reserved also, but offered a friendly handshake before Haley practically threw herself across the booth to hug the both of them. Their immediate reserve of Chris's new coming seemed to disappear once they met Haley's eyes and hugged her exactly as enthusiastic as her. He continued to glare at Chris, who seemed oblivious as he scooted inside the booth with that same stupid grin and same stupid nod when he first met him. He even gave Lucas and Tony a thumbs up and they had to hide their guffaws as coughs behind their hands. Nathan felt his upper lip curl at the gesture then a thigh brushed up against his and he looked down to Haley's warm brown eyes that shined specks of green that showed pride.

He didn't even noticed her squeezing her body next to Lucas so she could sit next to him and she snuggled his side and wrapped her arms around his torso. She tightened her grip as hard as she could and squealed as she kissed his cheek in congratulations. She started rattling off her favorite game-stopper moments of the game and how extremely proud she was of him that she could never accurately describe it and just like that, his anger was gone. The anger of the intrusion of Chris completely melted away into dust that flew away in the wind when she discussed the game with Lucas and Tony and remembered stories of their adventures here.

He relaxed the moment she said she was proud of him and lazed his arm across her shoulders as the endless pizza and drinks flowed their way. All Haley did was talk and Chris disappeared. It was like any other home game where he, Lucas, Tony and she would come to this place and just hang-out. It was maybe 30 minutes into the hang-out when he felt the slight buzz in his left front pocket. He slightly adjusted his body as he fished his phone out and deeply sighed when he saw who the text was from.

_Dad: 28 points, 11 boards, 8 assists? Horrible. You should've got 30; I trained you better than that, Nathan._

He must've stared longer at the text than he wanted because he felt Haley's hand on his thigh and she squeezed. He slightly shook his head out of the daze and looked down at her and saw concern etched on her face.

"You okay, babe?" She asked.

"Yeah," he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Just bullshit with my dad."

She scoffed. "Forget him. You're out with me and the boys. Whatever he said, you broke the record, be proud of that. You know I am."

The corner of his lips part and his gaze shined thankful. "What would I do without you?"

She gave him her special smile for him. "You'd die."

His hand that held his drink moved from the table to the left side of her chest and stayed there for a second before going back to his drink. "I'm here always," he said when his hand touched her shirt.

Her hand automatically goes up to his chest and she patted the left side before her fingers trailed down diagonally then went back to the table and started to tap a random beat. "I'll be here forever."

Her attention went back Lucas and Tony as they both started beat-boxing to her taps and making up rhymes. He laughed at how stupid they looked and how White Lucas was with his rhymes but started grooving when Haley took over the beat and the rest of the establishment started whooping.

A couple hours later and little bit buzzed from the beer, Nathan waited with Lucas and Tony as Haley said goodbye to Chris a couple feet away. His boys were being rowdy as always and started heckling Chris who took the ribbing with just a stupid grin on his face. Nathan laughed along when Tony said he was the White Urkel and he had to grab Lucas in a tackle-hug who almost fell over on the sidewalk with how hard he was laughing. Tony of course found this even more hilarious than his previous comment and proceeded to make an unattractive snort and leaned against the wall, holding his side.

Haley and Chris looked back at them and he winked at his best friend, silently communicating he had this under control when he obviously didn't. Haley shook her head and turned her attention back to Chris and she reached for his hand. They started being a little too lovey-dovey to his liking and told Tony to shut the fuck up before they get arrested for disturbing the peace.

"Hey, how come wanna-be pretty boy isn't going drinking with us?" Lucas asked a little too loudly and Nathan went to cover up his mouth with his hand, which he licked.

Nathan badly reacted and cursed. "That's disgusting!" As he wiped Lucas's saliva on his cheek which earned him a hard shove.

"You wanted it if you do that shit! Common playground rules, man!"

They both started laughing as they playfully shoved at each other and slapping the back of each other's head and Tony continued to giggle at his spot on the wall. They were started to earn a lot of looks, even though most of them were smiling, an older couple frowned at them as they strolled along.

"Boys! Enough!" Haley yelled before rolling her eyes with a smile and turned back to Chris who pulled her into a hug that seemed to last longer than the comfortable hold.

Nathan slightly frowned at this and was about to be an asshole to move this along when Haley did it for him. She leaned up for a kiss that lasted longer than friendly in his eyes. He stayed rooted and everything seemed silence. Lucas wasn't being loud and Tony seemed to stop giggling as all three of them witnessed the kiss goodbye. Nathan didn't know how he felt or even what to do until Lucas and Tony simultaneously ooh'd. He shoved Lucas to shut him up and barked at Tony to shut up also when Haley broke the kiss with a flirty smile and another hug to Chris.

Chris pecked her one more time before he let her go and Nathan literally felt his heart making its way up his esophagus. He wanted to puke but he wanted to kill Chris for some reason. It wasn't the fact Chris kissed her but the way he was kissing her. He didn't know why but it seemed like Chris kissed her in a way to show she was his and he was sorry, but last he checked, she wasn't. She wasn't fucking property either, thank you.

She never looked back as she walked back to him and when she approached him she gave him her special smile for him and of course everything he was feeling vanished. He got that buzzed feeling back when she only made eye-contact with him and continued to walk until she was engulfed in his embrace, which was automatic when she was in grabbing distance. He hugged her and had this overwhelming urge to kiss the top of her head so he did. She giggled into his shirt and took a step away before oozing her body completely into his side. He adjusted his arm and pulled her tight as he made eye-contact with Chris.

"Take care of her well, guys," Chris said with that no-clue smile then gave two thumbs up. "Nice meeting you."

Tony and Lucas gave another loud laugh before they mocked him with two thumbs up of their own. "Bye Sensy!" They both shouted and Chris still had that no clue smile.

They all started walking to the nearest pub with Lucas and Tony in front laughing about how Chris looked like he tried too hard and how he described himself as a "sensitive artist," and how awesome they were that they came up with "sensy" (short for sensitive) and he had no clue. Haley scoffed at them and shook her head.

"You guys are too hard on him!" She defended. "And you've been hanging out with Nathan for too long if you're gonna make fun of creative people."

"Hay Jay, he admitted to wearing eye-liner!" Lucas exclaimed. "And it wasn't for art and what a cliché to describe himself, really. He deserves to be made fun of."

"Yeah, H," Tony said. "And we don't make fun of the creative peeps. You're creative and we love you more than Nathan."

"Nice, since you were my friend first," Nathan scoffed.

"Still, give him a chance, guys," Haley pouted. "He's good people."

"Too good for us to hang out more," Lucas scoffed.

Haley opened her mouth to protest but Nathan rubbed small circles on her shoulder. She stopped her retort and leaned deeper into his side which he welcomed with another kiss to the top of her head. Lucas and Tony walked a little bit faster ahead of them talking to each other and it was silent for a couple minutes before he asked Haley about Chris in a low voice.

"Why didn't he hang out more?" He asked.

"He had to fly to San Jose in the morning for a potential art show," she said as she played with his fingers that hanged in front of her.

"Oh, how long is he gone?"

She shrugged. "Maybe a couple days. He wasn't for sure and I'm probably going to cling to you until he comes back."

"And why is that? You know I don't mind though."

"Well, we talked before we went to the game… for a long time. Talked about our feelings and stuff."

"Okay…?"

"Well, he's my boyfriend, Nate. And I'm gonna need you as a distraction so I don't go crazy missing him."

Something dropped inside his stomach but he blamed the comfortableness on too much beer and too little pizza. He licked his lips and kissed the top of her head again.

"I'm great at distractions," he grinned.

She chuckled and looked up at him with a flirty smile. "Oh, I know, Nate. I know. You're great at _all_ kinds of distractions," she said with a roll of her eyes.

He just pulled her to him tighter and wrapped his massive arms around her neck in a head-lock. She laughed and repeatedly slapped his abs as she giggled that he let her go.

**End Chapter 8.**

**I hope I made up for it. Review if you'd like.**

**CAli**


	9. The Missing

Each Other's Comfort

**Here it is, and I know it's been awhile. Again, my apologies. It's a long chapter to make up and a lot of subtle clues that you're going to think these two people are stupid in love. At least, I hope that's the direction it is in. Lol. Enjoy, read and review if you'd like.**

**CAli**

**Guest – Thank you for the review! I know a lot of people didn't like my choice as Chris for Haley's boyfriend, including you, but trust me this is a Naley story with Naley as endgame. Your wish will happen, just not in the most conventional way possible - like all my endings - but I can assure you they're happy. **** At least Chris isn't aware how obnoxiously arrogant he is in my story and I hope is somewhat likeable. Chris had to be different but Haley has her loyalties intact, trust. I hope you keep reading and like the progression of this chapter. Things are starting to bridge from here on out. Thank you again.**

Ch. 9 – Missing

**3:15 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"How the fucking fuck do you fix this thing?" Nathan muttered to himself as he fiddled with his computer.

He was troubleshooting the web-cam capability on _UStream_ trying to chat with his family and he was getting frustrated by the second. Haley usually set-up the technicals of the whole thing and she wasn't here now so he was left stranded. He bit his bottom lip as a look of pissed-off determination stayed firm and he once again clicked another sub-menu option that maybe – just maybe – made sense.

A bunch of options popped up and Nathan did what he was best at, which was randomly clicking and adjusting the little meters on the bar. He clicked okay and his eyes narrowed when all he stared at was a black, static-y screen and heard white noise. He was about to throw a hissy fit when he heard his younger sister's giggle filled his quiet living room and small chuckles from his older brother and sister-in-law.

"I believe it's double-fudge sticks, Nate," Lily said as her close-up pudgy face filled his screen.

He smiled big like victory was all along his and watched as his sister's face zoomed out to a half the screen in a rectangle then he saw Lucas and Peyton's face smooshed in the other half. He smirked when he saw the playful glint in Lucas's eyes and Peyton's slightly pink face as her grin rivaled his. Next thing he knew, Lily, Lucas, and Peyton's face swooshed again to equal, small squares that took up the top half of his screen then his chiseled face popped up on the bottom half. He noticed how weird it was that the bottom half seemed to have too much empty space without Haley. He saw his slight frown for a brief second before he wiped it away with a happy smile as he took in his sister's face.

Lily was definitely growing and he could tell with how her pudgy face was starting to mature into that slightly long chin and defined cheek bones. Her eyes sparkled with the same color but seemed a little bit brighter in the light and her hair was starting to turn from the blond locks to a darker sandy brown. He knew in ten years, Lily would have the long, flowing brown hair with the brightest blue-green eyes and she was going to have everyone drop their jaws and turn heads. The protectiveness stirred in his stomach and an animalistic growl internally started to form. Ideas (read: schemes) started to build foundation in his mind on how to get Lily to live with him and Haley and what technology would be best to lock her door and windows from the outside to keep hidden.

"Where's Haley?" Lily said, as she broke his thoughts.

Nathan blinked to clear up his inner big brother and processed what his sister said. Once the question registered and he saw the clear anxious curiosity as she weaved her head side to side and scooted closer as she tried to see if his best friend was just barely in the background. He twisted his mouth in regret sadness and pouted as he broke the news in a soft hum.

"I'm sorry, Lily Pad, she couldn't make it," he said.

"Haley?" Lucas interrupted. "Miss a cam session?"

"I know," Peyton chimed in. "She never does. What gives, Nate?"

Nathan took a breath and he saw slight apprehension cross his face and he knew he was caught. He contemplated lying, but the immediate eyes narrowing from the three parties told him he shouldn't even tried to come up with an excuse except the truth. He felt bad that Haley forgot and the look of disappointment on his sister made his stomach drop like he was the asshole. Was this how she looked and possibly felt every time he missed a cam session due to tiredness and sheer sense that important stuff sometimes slipped his mind? That look Lily was giving, the major pout as her bottom lip jutted out like an allergic reaction and the clear shininess in her eyes, made him never want to see it again. He swore his heart _literally_ broke.

Jesus Christ, how the hell did Haley manage to do damage control every time and not beat the shit out of him?

Before his eyes could well up in tears also and trip over his words as Lily cried, he licked his lips and hung his shoulders as he explained as delicately as he could.

"She forgot, guys," he said. "She's got a lot going on with her obsession on her newest music sample and she's been seeing this guy who's taking a lot of her time."

"She forgot because of a guy?" Lucas asked, incredulously. Peyton even raised her eyebrows at the information and Nathan opened his mouth on defense as his jaw clinched for just a second.

"She forgot?" Lily's dejected tone interrupted Nathan's pissed off response and Lucas' further interrogation.

The reaction was instantaneous on the brothers and Peyton. They closed their mouths and practically melted in rejection as they saw no way to sugar-coat the situation or possibly lie. Lily was a smart girl and she didn't like to be treated as dumb, nor would any of them would try to. The clear sadness in Lily just about did everyone in, judging by the shameful regret that etched onto their faces.

Lily was just about as close to Haley as Nathan and they shared a girly bond that not even Peyton could penetrate. There was pure love between the two, almost like mother and daughter, and everyone could tell with just how they looked at each other. Lily adored the world on both him and Lucas and was close to Peyton like an actual sister that had a secret language with each other. But she and Haley was something different with just how special their affections were with each other and how his best friend always had some sort of protective blanket that his baby sister could confide in.

The fact that Haley missed _one_ session had a greater impact that all three were surprised by. Nathan vowed to never let anything like this (especially on his part) ever happen again but now he had to try his hand at damage control.

"It's not just because of a guy," he said, very clear. "There are other factors, Lucas. And, Lilies, I'm sorry, so very sorry. I know that no matter how busy she was, she never missed a session. But when you get older, you'll understand how life can get stressful and sometimes our minds go somewhere else. I don't even get to see her and I live with her, baby."

"It's not fair," Lily sounded so small and he had to swallow the lump that formed mid-way of his throat.

"I know," he softened his voice. "But I promise you, Lily Pad, she'll call soon."

"How? When you don't even see her."

"She can't spend all her money on take-out and college does have a certain time where they lock the doors at night. Trust me, she's going to miss her bed and I won't let her sleep in it until she's informed of what she did."

"Don't be too mean to her, Nate," she said, a little hope started to shine in her eyes at the prospect. "Like you said, life can be stressful."

He smiled as he internally breathed a sigh of relief. Even though it seemed easy to convince the small girl to cheer up, he never wanted to go through something like that again. He knew then Lily was just as dangerous as Haley when it came to the pout. They both knew how to work a man and he felt proud yet slightly played.

"I'm never too mean to her," he said. "She's mean to me."

"No, she just makes you feel like an a-hole," Peyton interrupted, a coy smirk already in place. "Which you are."

"It must be exhausting for her always putting you in your place," Lucas chimed in.

They all laughed at his grumbled look, but it was all okay because Lily's toothy grin was brightening up his screen and that's all that mattered at the moment.

**9:00 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan slightly groaned as he lifted his hips and pressure built on his lower back. He ignored the uncomfortableness as he closed his eyes and wiggled his hips a little bit to relieve the pain. They had a gruesome game last night against Oregon and his body was still killing him for the over-exertion. It was a physical game and he almost got ejected when he and another player got a little aggressive over a rebound. He was held back by Tony while the three referees came rushing between them, consistently blowing their whistles in his face as his teammates pulled him back to separate. The only thing that instantly calmed him down was Haley's concerned face, front and center in the student's section of Pauley Pavilion Center. They won on his two free-throws for the one-point lead and the only thing he wanted was to celebrate with Haley but a sad-face text said she had to finish her project and she'd see him at home.

She came home when he was passed out in his bed, well past 2 a.m. for sure.

He contemplated reaching over the coffee table for his phone to beg his best friend to come home so he could get a massage but he felt like that was too much work. His body was punished today at practice because of the almost-fight last night. Coach never took too lightly of "silly fights," so he practically wanted to sink to his knees and cry once he got home. He was surprised he made it to the couch but now that his body melted into the cushions, he never wanted to leave.

The door slammed in the hallway and his ears perked at the prospect that Haley was home. He peaked one eye open and waited, hoping to God he wasn't at the point of exhaustion where he was hallucinating but a jolt of life seemed to shoot throughout his body when he saw golden-brown hair bounce from her shoulders as she walked into the living room. He smiled big and took a breath which caused the pressure to stay in his lower back. He ignored the uncomfortableness again.

"Hey, stranger," he said when Haley appeared above the back of the couch.

She smiled his smile as her hands delicately gripped the couch and she relaxed her shoulders.

"I thought I heard you breathe," she said as she tilted her head. "And I saw you yesterday."

"If we don't have a conversation, it doesn't count."

"Fine, make me feel like an asshole."

"I will," he closed his eyes again and held out his hands and bent his fingers in a "come here" motion.

She sighed and carefully climbed over the couch and he had a strong suspicion she saw the extreme grimace in his face and slowly, he felt her body mold into his, her arms wrapped under his shoulders and the tips of her hair slightly brushing against his collarbone that teased under his shirt. He felt her soft fingertips starting to knead and the familiar kinks slowly built pressure then disappeared. He breathed deep in appreciation and she lowly moaned when his arms overlapped her small back and squeezed. Don't ask him how, but he knew she had her eyes closed and was doing exactly the same thing as he: committing the familiarity and being so damn glad they were reveling in it.

"I missed you," he whispered after a several quiet moments of content.

"God, I missed you too," she exhaled. "Who knew juggling a college music career and a boyfriend I really like and committed to would be so freaking exhausting."

"Lily missed you too."

Her head snapped up so fast, the tips of her hair tickled his collarbone and he practically felt her eyes widened until they were bug-eyed.

"What?" Her tone was sharp in disbelief and he knew he had to open his eyes and stare into an emotional roller-coaster.

"We planned a cam session a couple days ago. You didn't make it and I had to endure her sad face. Never again."

"When?! Why didn't you text me?!" She slapped him on his chest, hard.

"Ow!" He rubbed the no-doubt red spot on his skin. "I did! You didn't respond. And I called you twice. It went straight to voicemail."

Realization dawned that she did turn off her phone two days ago because of a rehearsal of a play she agreed to do the music to, and then she went straight to Chris's art show and totally forgot to turn it on. She vaguely remembered the next day when she finally turned on her phone that she had two voicemails but she had to work on the music piece and as the day progressed, she absently forgot to check her messages. She only remembered Nathan's game last night thanks to Lucas, whom she ran into earlier in the day at the student center food court. She fluttered her eyelids as she rolled her eyes at her own stupidity.

"Shit," she said, dejectedly and pouted.

Nathan swallowed because it look like she was about to cry and she looked so much like Lily, he didn't think he could handle it so he quickly spoke.

"I told her you'd call soon," he said.

"I should've called yesterday! Shit, I never miss a session. She must've been so heart-broken."

"She looked pretty sad. Ow!"

She hit him again, but it seemed harder and she was increasingly starting to look upset. Jesus, he never responded well when his girls cried. He almost beat the shit out of three-year-old when Lily came to him crying in a park, barely bumbling out that he snatched her Barbie doll out her hand and threw it across the sandbox. He got suspended when some asshole stood up Haley and laughed when she confronted him about it, citing that it was an April Fool's joke. His automatic response was violence and he had no idea who to beat up if his best friend cried over this. His mind was racing over the prospect as she glared at him.

"You're not helping," she grumbled. "I can't believe this."

"Look, we'll call tomorrow, alright? Just explain you've been busy and it will never, ever happen again. Like, seriously, Hales, because I barely escaped the tears. Is that how she looks when I missed a session? Like the world is going to end and I killed her puppy?"

"You have no idea."

"Jesus Christ, the human race of men will not stand a chance with my baby sister."

"I know, right? But seriously, I feel like a complete, grade-A, douchebag. I'm missing everything important."

He shrugged. "Life happens, babe. It's okay."

"Not when you disappoint Lily Scott," he laughed at that and she cracked a smile at the dramatics of the statement. "If it's not music, it's Chris dragging me to everything, anything about his art, which I enjoy, don't get me wrong. But it's been either him or music, and that doesn't feel right to me."

He frowned at the stress in her voice. He never wanted her to feel smothered or guilty. "What are you saying? Are you breaking up with Chris already?"

"No! He's been great, trust me, always asking about you or my music or telling me I don't need to go to every showing. It's just, I haven't seen you in a while or Lily, Lucas, Peyton, and Sawyer for that matter and you guys come before anything. I just need a break."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion. "So you're not breaking up with Chris? Isn't that what a _break_ is?"

She gave him a "really" look where her lips thinned and she slightly narrowed her eyes. "Chris is going to Vegas for the weekend. He asked me to come but I told him no. I think it's about time I spend the weekend with you. And apparently, it's much needed since I got a lot of groveling to do with Lily."

He smiled like it was the best news he heard in his whole life. "Well, I'm not gonna argue with you. Arguing with Haley James is like wanting to lose a fight with a bull. Ow!"

She twisted his nipple through his shirt. "Did you just call me an aggressive male animal?"

He tickled her sides in retaliation. "No! God, you've been violent lately. What the hell did Chris do to you?"

After she tried to overpower his quick fingers attacking all her target sensitive areas and miserably failing, they calmed down from the burst of energy and contently laid on the couch, snuggled deep in a cocoon of warmth. His fingers traced silly patterns on her lower back as she gave him a mini massage on the swells of his shoulders.

"Nate?" She asked after it got too quiet for the both of them.

"Yeah?" He responded, his fingers leaving her lower back and his left hand trailing up her right arm.

"I won't ever miss a session with Lily again. Next time, you do whatever it takes to make sure I make it."

"It's not the end of the world, Hales. She understands we sometimes get busy. She won't hate you, I promise."

"Just promise me?"

He looked into her eyes to convey his seriousness just as his fingertips lightly moved over the left side of her chest. "I promise. But I don't think you'll ever let it happen again. You make one mistake to never make it again. That's life."

She smiled his smile. Her right hand left the swell of his shoulder and trailed down his chest and stopped in the middle the same time his fingers did.

"What would I do without you?" She whispered.

"You'd die," he responded sweetly.

She tapped her index finger over the thumping once. "I'm here always."

Four of his fingers tapped one after the other. His eyes dipped down to the movement under his fingers. "I'll be here forever."

**3:15 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"How the fucking fuck do you start this thing?" Nathan muttered as he once again tried to get the web-cam to work.

He grumbled and muttered to himself as Haley stood behind him and he practically felt her smirk. He did it once without her and he felt confident that he could do it again but the stupid software wasn't working again and he felt that he was slowly being frazzled with the presence of his best friend. Cop it out to male DNA, but he felt he needed to fix this problem and come out victorious simply because Haley was right behind him. He could conquer a pitiful cam-to-cam application.

"I know how to fix it," Haley's teasing voice said. "If you just let me get in front of the computer."

"I fixed it before," he mumbled as he clicked on random buttons.

Her amused sigh grated his nerves for some reason and he narrowed his eyes as determination filled his whole body. He bit the corner of his bottom lip as his eyes darted across the screen and he almost screamed in frustration after a few minutes when Lily never appeared. He was about to hit the computer to make himself feel better when Haley swooped in, clicked a few buttons and then voila, his baby sister's angelic face filled the small screen.

He glared at her when she eased up from her bent position with a smug look and turned his attention back to the screen. His glared deepened when Lily giggled at him.

"Hey Lillies!" Haley practically screamed in his ear when she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Haley! You're here!" Lily practically almost broke his computer speakers with the high-pitched squeal.

She smiled real big and he looked over his shoulder and saw the exact replica on his best friend's face. In turn, his grin was huge because all was right in the world; his two best girls were happy.

"That's right, baby girl," his best friend said. "I'm so sorry I missed the last session."

"I was sad," there was a slight pout in Lily's face and her shoulders deflated just a little. "You never missed a session."

"I know, Lillies," the tone Haley used suggested she still beat herself up about it. "I wanted to hang myself when Nathan told me."

"It's true, Lily Pad," Nathan interjected. "I had to stop her from wrapping the rope around her neck."

"No!" Lily pouted. "Don't kill yourself, Haley. Nathan needs you just as much as I do. We love you equally to have you in our lives for forever and ever and ever."

"Aww, that's sweet," Haley smiled. "But we were just kidding, honey. I wouldn't kill myself because I missed a session but I do feel like crap for doing that to you."

"It's okay."

"You have a huge heart, Lillies. Thank you so much for understanding, but I promise you, I won't ever do it again. I enjoy our sing a-long sessions and just talking. Your beautiful face makes everything worth it, okay? Nathan and I are working hard to get you here to live with us forever."

"I would love that. I'd miss mommy but everything would be awesome with you guys. And I'd be closer to Lucas and Peyton and Sawyer. We could be one big happy family and maybe I could get you as a sister."

"Honey, you're already like my sister."

"But a real sister. Mommy called it in-laws. You and Nathan will get married and I'd get to live with real family and have the most awesome life ever. Maybe be an auntie again."

"Whoa, buddy!" Nathan interrupted with an amused laugh. He shared a look with Haley that said exactly the same thing: this kid was awesome with her wild imagination. "Lily Pad, Haley has a boyfriend. That's the problem in your little awesome dream."

"Boyfriend, smoyfriend. Boyfriends don't last, marriages do."

Haley laughed with patient measure. "Stay forever young, little lady," she said.

"For real, though, Hales. I know you really like your boyfriend; Nathan must do if he's not saying mean things about him."

Nathan conspicuously ignored the teasing smile directed his way by Haley.

"But he doesn't stand a chance with my happy family," Lily said resolutely.

"Well, why don't you meet him first before you're set that it's in my future I marry Nathan," Haley bargained. "Wouldn't that be fair?"

Lily slightly frowned and perused her lips as she thought about it. She looked so much like Haley in her facial expressions that he wondered what it would be like to have a little girl just like his best friend. He quickly shook the thought though when Lily dramatically sighed.

"I guess it's fair," she said. "After all, you always said there are two sides."

"There're most certainly are two sides, Lillies," Haley smiled. "Two sides to every story and relationship. Have an open heart. You might love Chris more than you love your own brother."

"I highly doubt that, but I'll do it for you, Haley. I'll do anything for you, just like Nathan."

"Thanks, baby girl."

Nathan looked at his best friend's profile and softly smiled. The serene on her face made things speed up in just the slightest inside him and that feeling to be better hammered through. She turned her head and met his gaze and he was hit with her smile for him. The urge to kiss her came and on auto-pilot, moved his head forward and puckered his lips. His chapped lips hit the soft skin of her cheek, near the corner of her mouth and at the same time, he felt her soft, moist lips pressed against the same spot where his landed.

It was moments like these that made everything he did worth it. His two girls were happy.

**7:00 a.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

"Nathan! Wake the hell up!" Haley said as she practically pounced on his sleeping body.

"Wha-?" Nathan groaned when she slapped his shoulder. "What the hell, Haley, we just went to bed!"

"Liar. We went to bed four hours ago."

It was absolutely impossible that was accurate because he swore he just closed his eyes a minute ago. He cracked one eye open and as his vision cleared he noted that his room was not bright and had that ambient, gray haze that said dreary morning. It still had to be dark outside and he rolled his upper body as much as he could since his best friend had all her weight on his lower half. He was on his back when he turned his head to the left and took note of the red seven and double zeros that followed. There went his fool-proof plan to prove her wrong and he moaned his displeasure. He was literally one second away from flinging his limbs in all sorts of directions and put two-year-old's temper tantrum to shame.

"Fuck, Hales, it's seven a.m. on a Saturday!" He practically whimpered. "What the fuck?"

"You need to get up, we're going to Disneyland! You said so last night."

"We were drinking last night; I said a lot of things!"

"And I didn't sleep with you so that alone should say a lot about how serious this very moment is. Come on, come on, come on! We have to beat traffic."

"Noooo," he said, flinging his arms over his eyes and trying to ignore her incessant poking.

"Nathan, please?"

Shit, that pout. He resisted the urge with every mighty power in his being not to open his eyes and instantly cave at her expression. They both knew very damn well how dangerous that damn pout was and she had no problem using it when it came to getting her way. Sure, she'd be nice to a loser and date him, but she was just plain evil when it came to him and his vulnerability to that stupid look that could melt the anger in a violent man. He resented her measures when she used the pouty lips and sadness that shined in fakeness and his weakness that made him want to give her the world just to never see that emotional face again.

He bit the tip of his tongue to distract himself with the pain and he thought he'd might actually get away from the pout but she brought it on full force, a hint of distress hidden but very much clearly heard to his ears. The tone broke all self-will and he sighed, trying to build as much last-ditch effort he pitifully called tolerance, before he opened his eyes. He made eye-contact with her and there went all resolve, manically laughing at the thought that he'd really had a chance to withstand her crutches.

He glared at her with as much fake hatred his tired-self could muster as he deeply sighed. He kneed the heels of his hands into his eyes until he saw bright dots and wavy lines and groaned his displeasure from the pit of his stomach. She grinned like she already knew she won but victory was only that much sweeter when he grumbled his agreement. He hated that he got played and knew it but he still tried to bargain with her.

"Can we just stay in bed for an hour? Please, I'm still drunk."

He closed his eyes and settled in, acting like this was going to happen whether she'd like it or not. His hands shot forward and rested on her hips, already massaging, coaxing her to just lean forward and snuggled into him. There was reason how Haley learned how to manipulate and she was sitting on him. Don't get him wrong, he was proud she mastered her coy and played to weakness, the problem was she only used it on him, not the socially-awkward boys she dated.

He heard her sigh and felt her body fall forward until he felt the pressure on his chest. She sighed again as she got comfortable and wiggled her hips a little to get adjusted. The tips of her soft hair brushed against the ends of his collarbone and his hands clasped over her lower back. He contently sighed, his inner smile full-blown as he knew he got a little manipulation in there too.

"Thirty minutes," she said. "A second more and I'm calling Brooke to come with us."

Well, fuck.

**8:45 a.m. – Disneyland**

"I told you we should've left at seven," Haley said, or practically nagged in Nathan's ear.

They were stuck in traffic and only moved only maybe five miles in the last hour. His irritation grew every inch they moved because none of this made sense. It was Saturday morning and they shouldn't even be this much traffic since it was even tourist attraction season for Disneyland and the gas he was wasting just on idle had him cracking his jaw every 30 seconds. They were almost to the entrance and it seemed that this was the reason behind the hold-up since every single lane (_eight, freaking eight_) was bumper to bumper and only one person per a lane handling the parking fee. It also didn't make matters better for him that the closer they got, the more vocal Haley got about leaving early. He was tempted to clamber her mouth shut with his hand but he knew it wouldn't work since she'd just repeatedly lick his hand and turn her voice to a high-pitch tone just to annoy the fuck out of him.

There was the music option, but she always got picky when it came to passing time. The downside of having a best friend who aspired to be a music producer; she had a critical ear for everything and would go into detail how the beat just didn't work with the vocals or some shit he wouldn't care about at a quarter to nine in the morning on a freaking Saturday. He was never going to let her forget at that little tiblit: he could be sleeping by now after a grueling week of basketball, but no, she just had to use that damn pout and dragged him to freaking Disneyland. He vowed that no matter what she did today that would be so damn cute, he wouldn't forget his anger and he would keep this perfected scowl on his face for the next 15 hours.

Yes, 15 hours. He had a strong suspicion that would the minimum time-frame he would be at this god-forsaken place with his best friend.

He bit his lip when she sighed and started combing her fingers through her hair. He sneaked a glance in the corner of his eye and cleared his throat when she sighed again; a clear indication she was getting restless and bored.

"I don't know how you get the right to look and sound bored," he said. "You're the one who wants to go to the 'happiest place in the world.'"

"I could be posing with a Disney Princess by now if we left when I wanted," she replied as she lifted a leg up onto her seat.

"Well, excussssse me. I could be sleeping, but no, I'm enduring asshole crowds for you. You've could've gone by yourself."

"And miss a whole day without you? Excussssse me for wanting to spend time with you."

He scoffed. "This is stupid. We shouldn't even be fighting this early in the morning. That shit could be endured at least 11 a.m."

"By 11 a.m. I'd get you drunk."

"Promise?" He perked up at that idea.

Just like that the annoyance they had for each other disappeared when she grinned back. She gave him his only smile for him and he reached over for her hand over the gear shift. On instinct, she gave her hand and interlaced their fingers as he brought their hands to his lips. He apologized in the chaste kiss and she softly smiled back as her apology too. They moved another inch and the irritation went away. The prospect of spending a whole entire day with his best friend at a theme park seemed to be the best idea from her. The shenanigans they could get into and the relaxation that came with just the two of them seemed to be what he needed for months now. It has been awhile since it was just the two of them on an outing and the excitement grew at the realization.

He'd make sure to fully apologize for his grumpy behavior by buying at least all the booze and food. Maybe splurge on an express pass, just for his girl.

**12:30 p.m. **

True to her word, Haley got him drunk and he loved it. He had a nice buzz that seemed to just get him higher every time he looked at his best friend. She was having the time of her life; drinking margaritas, posing with Disney characters, and riding front row on every scary rollercoaster ride there was possible. It's been so long since it was just the two of them and they were enjoying the screams of excitement and flirtatious banter.

He loved the fact they were so care-free. He bought all the pictures with them on the rides, paid for lunch so far while she paid for the drinks, played some games but he wanted to save the big ones towards the end of the night so they wouldn't be carrying so many stuffed animals.

"Confident much?" Haley retorted when he explained his reasonings.

"Have you seen me?" He shot back. "I'm the all-time leading scorer on the men's UCLA Basketball team. I'll win every single humongous stuffed animal in this joint."

She playfully shoved him when he puffed out his chest for emphasis and he responded with a full-on laugh and a bear hug. He only pulled away enough for them to walk side by side and he had his arm slung across her shoulders and let his hand hang in almost a gay fashion. By instinct – because he felt the need too – she tilted her head until it was snug against his chest and she interlaced their fingers. It honestly was just them in their own little bubble and it hadn't been that way for a while. He was pretty sure she felt the same way, but for him, it felt right that it was just them right now.

They were in the middle of standing in line for _California Screamin'_ when Nathan noticed Haley only checked her phone once. It was a quick, turn-it-on-turn-it-off move, that even before he was able to crane his neck, the phone was back in her back pocket. He silently raised an eyebrow at the move because usually she wasn't secretive when it came to who was contacting her, in fact, she had the opposite problem; he didn't want to hear how many levels dorkweed Steve completed on his sci-fi computer role-playing shit or if he thought Daryl looked better in plaid or stripes. Before he could question the phone sneak though, she looked up at him and even though her eyes were shaded, he knew they were shining bright when she smiled up at him. He softened his looks and pulled her in tighter to his chest which she slightly giggled at the gesture.

"Was that Chris?" Nathan asked.

"Nope," she said. "Brooke is pissed because she missed the invite."

"You still invited her?!"

"It was a back-up plan in case you thought I was bluffing."

"What the hell, Haley."

"Relax, I knew she wouldn't wake up to the early text," she giggled. "She was with Julian last night so I knew he'd keep her occupied. Besides, she just read the text now."

"Ugh. I don't need a mental image of Brooke's used vagina with another man."

"Look who's going all into detail."

He evened her with a glare and repeatedly shuddered to get the mental image he concocted because of his words. If he didn't finish his beer while waiting then he would've gulped it in two seconds flat. He contemplated if he could bribe someone to fetch him one when Haley laughed. He smirked at her because, simply, he couldn't be mad or even focus one thing when she smiled at him like that. The only thing that made sense was to keep that smile. He licked his lips and snuggled her into him more.

"Has Chris tried to contact you at all yet?" He asked.

"Nope."

She sounded like she didn't care either.

**11:00 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan tried to think back to the last time he was this fucking drunk. The memories between now and the last time flooded and blurred that he couldn't exactly pinpoint the exact time-frame and shook his head when the dull pain started to pick up pace. He groaned as he plopped onto the couch, digging the palms of his hands into his closed eyes. He willed the thinking and the spinning to stop before he threw his upper body unceremoniously to the back of the couch; the sudden movement seemed to swirl his stomach and the vomit slowly climbed its way up his throat. Why did he drink so much?

It was bad enough Haley had to help him inside the apartment and he didn't want to bother her again so he contemplated if he could get his shit together enough to at least crawl to the bathroom. He told himself to relax; thoughts of Haley's smile immediately took over his subconscious mind and his stomach settled enough to where he thought he could at least open his eyes without thinking the world just punched him in the gut. His eyes fluttered behind his eyelids and his rapid breathing started to burn his lungs but he still tried to reign in some sort of control. The moment he thought he could at least sit up and settle the war between his stomach and vomit, he felt soft hands gliding random paths along his lower spine.

He softly moaned as he felt the slight scratching of nails against his bare, clammy skin and he focused on the sensations of calm the movements sparked. The random paths all across his lower back calmed the panic that was starting to take over and within seconds, he found himself completely relaxed in a slanted position. His breathing even out and vomit settled in the pit of his stomach, no longer threatening to rip apart his esophagus and throat. He kept his eyes closed as he focused on the light scratching and in that moment, he felt like he was in oblivion. Haley always had the healing touch, and he was most grateful for it now.

"Sit up, baby," she whispered in his ear and he complied. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have made you play that drinking game the last two hours."

"'m fault," he mumbled back then groaned at the new angle his body was in.

"Shh, I'll take care of you."

She started a full-on back-scratching in tiny circles that worked its way up. He moaned his approval as he felt the soothing motions tamed his body from being sick. He bit his lip in concentration, focusing on how her nails scratched against his skin in the most attentive, sensual way that made him all fuzzy inside. Her actions against his back seemed to massage the sickness from the alcohol away. He wanted to stay in this stasis forever, so when she scooted closer to scratch his opposite shoulder blade and practically molded her side into his, he moaned again and cradled his head into her crook of her neck.

He felt her breath as she sighed then the gentle pull from the back of his head. He allowed himself to be practically glided down the couch as he straddled her whole body as they laid down. He wiggled a little to get comfortable in this new position and his ear was pressed against her chest. His stomach slightly protested the new movement but when her fingers picked up from where she left off, his body immediately relaxed. They stayed in silence; her fingers moving like it was on auto-pilot now as their breaths matched the same depth and pattern. Like always, they were synced in one.

"Hales?" He asked, meekly.

"Yeah, Nate?" She whispered back.

"You always take care of me."

"Of course, silly. Who else is gonna do it?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Nate. Always."

"Forever?" He peeked one eye to look at her.

She looked at him with conviction then smiled his only smile for him. "That too."

**End Chapter 9.**

**I know, sappy and cheesy right? This is a cliché and with a cliché comes a formula. It will pick up next time. And I think it's going to be ending soon. I don't want to drag this out too much, you know? Maybe two or three chapters left.**

**Thank you for your patience, alerts, and favorites. Review if you'd like.**

**CAli **


	10. The Life

Each Other's Comfort

**Here's another installment and I'm pretty sure you're going to hate me. Lol. Shit really hits the fan and there's maybe three chapters left in this saga (if I can even call it that : / ). The timing between the last two scenes may be confusing and I'll be happy to clear it up in personal reviews, but I think the time-line is legitimate and not too ambiguous. I hope you guys enjoy and thank you for the reviews/alerts/favorites. Read and review if you'd like.**

**CAli**

Ch. 10 – Life Goes on but is Still the Same

**2:30 a.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

_Nathan panted like he was in a sex marathon. The blood flow was rushing to the very tip of his muscles as he exerted as much as possible. He was working hard toward what he wanted and it wasn't as much as who he was with, but __**she**__ would be screaming his name throughout the entire time. Her encouragements always fuelled him and despite everything around him, his ears focused on words even though it seemed like she was far away. His eyes focused; never left the body in front of him as he analyzed every move. The way the hip bones thrusted, the way the legs worked as it powered just to stay in the same rhythm as he, the sheer sweat that dribbled down the face and how the muscles taunted every time they moved in a direction like it was an intimate dance between them, he saw it all. He was sure he looked the same and the sweat almost blinded his vision and a panic zeroed in from the pit of his stomach to the middle of his esophagus as he was very close to losing it all._

_He sucked in his breath as he set his feet and jumped with all his might. He let out a terrific roar as he jumped the full height his six-foot-two frame would allow and shot out his hand in a slight angle mid-air. His fingertips felt glory as it came in contact with the leather ball and he blocked Kobe Bryant's fade-away. The block was so monstrous, he made Kobe fall back in a surprised haste and he grinned when Kobe's ass and lower back collided hard with the concrete court and the crash amplified in his ears. He wanted to boost and talk shit, about how no punk-ass bitch pro was going to throw down on __**his**__ court but the girl that mattered distracted his foul mouth that got him into too much trouble than what was worth._

_She had that same smile that he was used to for ten years and he gravitated towards her, completely bypassing the once hero he had admiration for and went straight to his girl. She stood at the edge of the mini bleachers and her eyes practically glinted in happiness when he came near. Without hesitation, he continued his stride until she was at arm's length and swooped her up in the most delicate hug that was only perfected in Disney movies. She immediately wrapped her legs until they were snug on his hip bones and kept her entire body close, her face cradled into his neck and arms tightly wrapped his head like she was protecting him. Her breath tickled the conjecture of his neck and shoulder and it felt like he was home._

_That one-on-one game was for her; to impress in her all the ways. That he was stronger to protect her, smarter to help her, quicker to be there for her no matter what; anything to show he was right for her and the way she was responding to him right now said that she believed him. It just felt right, with the sun beating down on them but that coolness the ocean breeze provided to show the simplicity that he should kiss her to seal the unspoken deal. So he pulled back and saw that she wanted this too with all the emotion that swirled in her coffee eyes and he leaned in, just like that; like it was the simplest thing in the world to do._

_The kiss was better than any basketball play; the kiss made him felt like he was alive._

His face was too hot for some reason. Even behind his eyelids, he felt his face scorching and something in the back of his mind told this wasn't right. He wasn't happy where he was and his mind desperately grasped whatever that sequence was that was just in front of him a moment ago because that scene was better than anything in his life he experienced. Yes, that even included meeting his hero, Michael Jordan. His head jerked that followed up with a groan and immediately his body told him that was the wrong fucking thing to do. Liquid quickly rushed up his throat like he just split the defense and the lane was open to slice. On instinct, he clamped his teeth shut and puffed out his cheeks to stop the sickness from exploding via mouth because at least he had the right mind to conclude he was laying down, probably no doubt in Haley's room since that always seemed to be the destination when one of them was sick.

Nathan made a very unattractive lurching sound and his eyes popped open wide. His head stiffened as the vile made another attempt to escape his mouth and judging by the music posters his vision first focused on, if he threw up right here and now, he'd be dealing with a (minimum) very angry Haley that literally had a killer glare. His mind conjured up the particular look (literally dead in her eyes mixed in with psychotic rampage if she got her hands on you and eerily thin jaw line) he once experienced in his life that he'd rather block off as a traumatizing and he unceremoniously ripped her arm away from his stomach and bolted to the nearest bathroom.

His big toe ran into the plastic trashcan at the side of the bed and if he wasn't so worried about at least getting to a sink that workable drains and a water line, then he would've winced at the already numbing pain. He dry-heaved once before he flipped the toilet seat up and let the river run, so to speak. He pathetically collapsed to his knees and cradled the bowl like it was his life-saver and first-born child. The experience was endless and he was a millisecond away from loudly praying to God that he'd do anything if he could just get that dream back. God gave him something better, though.

"God, this must be death," he moaned as he felt her fingers treading the back of his head through his hair.

"No, this is the beginning of your hangover," she whispered and he felt a little peace when her other hand started to kneed his shoulders and lightly scratch his back in small circles. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry."

"Mmm. I just want to get back to my dream," he possibly cried, he wasn't exactly for sure.

"What dream?"

Another wave rolled through his body which saved the complicated explanation of this perfect dream. He wasn't for sure how to say it since he wasn't for sure who the woman was. All he focused on before he woke up was how much he was happy with her and it was the perfect utopia. He felt familiarities, however, when Haley hushed him and continued her patterns as volumes of liquid escaped his mouth; each wave physically had his body molding into the toilet and he simply hated the fact the intense concerned look on her face every time he heaved. Finally, his body seemed exhausted with what he just put it through and he rested the side of his head on his forearm; a little spit on the corner of his mouth but he moving to wipe it would be too much. He moaned again and shut his eyes to the ambient light.

Her soft fingers smoothed his clammy face and even wiped his spit without hesitance. He felt something damp on the back of his neck and he was so out of it, he hadn't noticed she wet a cloth to help him. The coolness helped and combined with her angelic soothing, he started to feel better and his strength building back up. He was still weak and upset he couldn't get back to the dream. His mind was still fogged from the alcohol but there was one thing that was constant and he wanted to get back to that.

"Baby," her voice was so soft and calming. "Are you done?"

"I don't know," he mumbled. "I'm so sorry, Hales. I probably woke up you."

"Don't be," she reassured him and kissed the back of his shoulder. "I'll be here as long as you need me to. I'm not going anywhere."

It seemed like hours until Nathan felt the familiar flushed coolness throughout his body and he felt somewhat confident he could get up now. He was afraid of moving just in case the bile wanted to do a sneak attack, but as he slowly rose to his knees then to his full height, he felt light and a killer thumping on all sides of his forehead. He groaned again and didn't even realize that Haley was guiding him with the firmest yet softest grip on his hand back to her bedroom. In his haze, he remembered she delicately fed him pills and presented the glass of water with preciousness and insisted that he'd drink.

The last he remembered before he completely passed out was her leading him back to bed. It was like a movie; how she climbed in bed backwards all the while making eye-contact with him as her back softly hit the mattress as her hand slowly pulled him towards her. He worried that he might have to puke again and laying on his stomach would make it worse, as she was vulnerable for an unfortunate accident. His lips were dry as he worried his bottom lip and he literally felt the anxiety all over his face as the heat returned. She washed all his worries away with her only smile for him and she pulled his full weight on top of hers until he was snug. Her arms wrapped around his head and his head was perfect in the crook of her neck as her fingers tantalizing rubbed against his short hair to calm him.

"You're not going to throw up on me," she whispered. "Let me protect you."

He wanted to be back in his dream again but this was up there. Something flushed his whole body as he relaxed on top of Haley and his breath evened out. He instantly felt better in her arms.

**9:30 a.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan's eyes fluttered as the sun's early rays peaked through the shades in Haley's room. His head had that slight pounding on the forefront but it was nothing two pills couldn't solve. His eyes opened fully and slightly drooped as his body was starting to follow in waking up. His breathing was normal and he noticed he flipped some time during the night and Haley was snuggled deep in his right side. His hand curved the ball of her shoulder as her even breath tickled his nipple. Her whole body was molded to his side and her dyed blonde hair fanned his shoulder and part of his clavicle. She looked perfect and he couldn't help the peaceful smile that etched on his lips.

He stayed for at least 10 minutes reveling in the simple fact that he was the most relaxed despite the horrible puking earlier. It was rare when Haley took care of him but on those occurrences that she did, he felt the most pampered, cared for man in the world and he cherished her for it. She had an uncanny maternal instinct to her and she just made everything better when she let her nurture side out. He fucking loved her even more when he was the only one to experience it because it just seemed like she was more attentive to the things he never noticed about himself. There was something about her touch, even after 10 years that made every bad thing go away and felt like this was the balanced, perfect life.

His fingers started to rub small circles on her upper arm as he contemplated how amazing his best friend was, especially last night when he had a sudden urge to give her everything. His hangover was slightly still there but he could power through and the annoyance was guaranteed gone by the afternoon after he got his ass up. It was hard, though, when Haley looked something out of heaven with her soft features that the sun illuminated and her soft snores came in. He pulled in tighter because he wanted to feel more at the moment and something nagged the back of his mind that there needed to be more contact so he bent down and kissed her hair. She slightly stirred at the romantic gesture but never opened her eyes and a contented sigh came out instead. He smiled again and took a deep breath.

He started thinking of all the ways he could treat her for her patience behavior when it came to his annoyance going to Disneyland and getting sick after drinking too much during the day. Happy face pancakes was always his go-to and she usually forgave him after that gesture but he wanted to do more. He started thinking about what they could do on a Sunday in LA and what they haven't done in a while. There were so many things LA offered and he thought about how much she wanted to go an art show a couple months before. He immediately frowned at the idea and even curled his upper lip. Surely, she was sick of art shows even though she would never admit it and he never connected with the artsy venue although he enjoyed a sculpture show every once in a while (something Haley only knew).

His eyes slightly narrowed as he thought about something they haven't done in ages and was special only to them. They had little things that contributed to their friendship over the years that L.A. could accommodate but he needed something special that would bring the gleam in her eyes. They've been to the beach and looked at the stars. They've gone clubbing and sporting events and shows that was very chic L.A. They've done everything "cool" in L.A. in the last four years but what was "them?" What could they do in L.A. they've done all the time in Tree Hill that was special and pretty much a get-away adventure? The moment the question phrased in his mind his cocky smirk appeared. He knew exactly what to do to thank his best friend.

**2:00 p.m. – Venice Beach**

"Oh, my God, Nathan don't make me fall!" Haley screeched but laughed when he encased his arms around her stomach.

Nathan laughed also as she struggled to keep her balance on the roller skates when he suddenly came up behind her and grabbed her. She buckled her knees to keep some sort of equilibrium and her short fingernails dugged into his forearms while her body sagged a little bit at the surprise but he kept the balance for the both of them. Something warm spread inside him when she dugged her nails into his arms because it was just like the old times when they were kids and would skate throughout the sidewalk trails all over Tree Hill's nature. For hours, they would skate and pretend they were on a cross-country adventure the summer they were thirteen. He remembered he would go only for Haley, even after a grueling workout with his father because it was the only time he could be free. Every summer since then, they would skate all over the trails until they moved out to L.A. and everything got busy.

A care-free grin appeared on his face as he reminisced and that same warm feeling came over again once he felt Haley immediately relax after just a second of surprised struggle. He felt immense proudness fill him every time she did something to prove she fully trusted with everything within her heart, body, and soul. She gained her balance after a small initial struggle then laxed her body against his as he guided them down the sidewalk with the closest adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful day full of all kinds of beautiful people as everyone from different backgrounds skated near them or played beach volleyball.

Haley woke up about an hour after he got the idea and by then he had called a skate rental place for an all-day appointment and made her favorite happy-face pancakes. She woke up extremely rejuvenated despite the long early morning she had taking care of him and immediately suspected something was up when he once again presented her with breakfast in bed. He decided to turn on his full sweet charm and brushed a piece of hair that shaped her face like a soft angel behind her ear while giving her a genuine smile. He explained she had two hours to get ready to go the beach and that was it. She bugged the shit out him but he was determined to keep it a secret since it's been almost a year since they went out and did this.

He drove them to Venice Beach and she slightly frowned at the location since their go-to-beach was actually Santa Monica but when he opened her door, locked it, then gently took her hand in his and tugged her to the skate rental shop that was a short distance from where they parked. When she realized what the place meant, she gave a huge girly squeal and threw herself in his arms. He laughed and swung her a little as she peppered her neck with little kisses. The guy behind the shop made the comment it was like he just proposed to her and before he could answer, she sassed back that this was way better than a proposal. The renter laughed and handed their skates and warned that it was a scorcher today so where so they shouldn't try and over exert themselves. Haley replied simply taking off her shirt and donned herself the rest of the day with daisy dukes and a gold bikini top. Nathan couldn't help but admire her exotic figure; for someone who spent most her day sitting creating music, she was in amazing shape and it was just another reason why he appreciated her (even though her body had nothing to do with how amazingly awesome she was).

"Why skating?" She asked as he helped her lace mobile shoes. "Not that I don't love it or anything."

He shrugged. "Why not? You did a lot for me last night. I just want today to be special for you."

She awed at him then quickly kissed his cheek. "Everything you do for me is special, always. But thank you. It's been so long. Come on, let's enjoy the scenery!"

They've been skating for hours now and he had a sudden urge to be closer to her so he came up behind her and quickly grabbed her in a playful manner. Her laughter was infectious with his mood and she took in stride and never left her position as he pulled her closer. They skated in the close proximity with his hands on her hips and her body completely leaned against his whole upper body as their feet glided in sync. They were so in tune with each other just enjoying their surroundings, they never really paid attention to the soft expressions from others every time they made eye contact. The place was just perfect with the sun dawning upon them and making their skin sun-kissed and touching the ocean's surface, making it alluring. He randomly thought if he would get married, it would be in a special place like this; where everything just screamed relaxation and perfection.

"Nate?" She asked, breaking his thoughts and he had to smile when that feeling spread again.

"Yeah?" He asked as he looked down and she was smiling his smile and she had this look of utopia in her eyes.

"What would I do without you?"

He smirked. "You'd die."

Her head lobbed to the left side of his chest and she contently sighed. He silently watched as she closed her eyes and it looked like she pressed her ear against his skin and she was concentrating on what she heard. A soft smile crossed her lips.

"I'm here always," she said.

Nathan responded by lifting his arms and wrapping them below her neck. His right hand landed in the vicinity of the left side of her chest and he squeezed his arms for the hug. Her response was immediate and she gripped his arms with her hands.

"I'll be here forever," he whispered against her cheek as he closed his eyes.

**9:00 p.m. – Santa Monica Place**

"How come you're only sweet to me?" Haley asked as she squeezed his hand in hers as they walked down the cobble path.

They were close as ever but he felt the urge that she needed to be closer when he answered her. He lightly pushed her ahead of him but quickly pulled her back in a half of a twirl that allowed him to drape his arm across her shoulders but still maintained their hand connection. She let out her girlish squeal that he loved and adored and he never thought his smile could get wider since that afternoon but he felt the corners of his mouth stretched. They walked in sync as he shrugged his shoulders and gave his signature arrogant response.

"Because you'll never leave me," he said and she gave a small chuckle. "What, it's true. And because you're the only who's worth it."

She gave him a smitten look and he felt something flutter inside him like it had been all day. He was used to the feeling from the moment she smiled at the skate rental shop and if he was being quite honest, he never wanted the feeling to away. She snuggled deeper into his side as they just watched the various street entertainment that cluttered the bright lights the shops provided. They walked in silence with no particular direction as they just people-watched and after a few moments he heard a relaxed sigh escape her mouth and he had to look down to see what caused that kind of response. Her eyes shined as she looked up in the sky and he followed her direction and noticed the bright stars and the enlarged moon that seemed to accent the colors the billboards and shops provided. It was a lively night and he gave himself a proud smile for continuing their adventure at this many tourist attraction.

Santa Monica Pier was just two blocks away if they wanted to continue their night but he had a sense that Haley just wanted to relax after the whole day in the sun skating. She suggested they end the day after hours upon hours and their skin had a significant bronze tone to it but he could see it in her eyes she didn't really want the day to end. He knew his best friend and she loved crowds, always looking for inspiration for her music. He quickly thought about places where she could just relax but still have fun people-watching. He was on a roll when it came to asking the right question at the right time because the perfect place came to mind the moment he listed the criteria. His mouth formed a mischievous smirk which she immediately questioned but he kept his mouth shut until he parked in the many parking garages.

He made the right choice when she eyed him with melted sweetness and smiled his smile.

He silently took her hand after he parked the car and they've been inseparable since. They've been walking a good 30 minutes and absolutely enjoyed the silence with her. As long as her body was close to his and he practically felt the Zen radiate off her, then he was extremely content where he was. He knew he went beyond in best friend duties and that's what he wanted. Haley James deserved to be treated more than what was appropriate and he felt he accomplished how much he showed her he appreciated every ounce of her heart and soul.

"I'm glad you're my best friend, Nate," she said, breaking the silence.

He looked down and saw the sincerity in her eyes and he couldn't help but match it. He had this feeling to lean down for a kiss and he made the right move because she immediately closed her eyes and puckered her lips before meeting him half-way. It was short and closed-lip before her attention was distracted to something up ahead. He opened his eyes in time to see where her ears perked up and the disappointed feeling that the moment was short and chaste disappeared out of nowhere when he noticed the entertainment up ahead. It was one of the many reasons why he brought her here and he was happy she was so care-free and natural when she dragged him closer to the music.

An older man dressed as a mime was also acting as a DJ with a set of African-looking drums. He had a laptop and a small bass speaker next to him as he was no doubt mixing the live sounds with electronic beats and he was also doing mime-like dances along with beat the laptop created. It was an odd sight for sure on the form of entertainment but it was the quirkiness that always got Haley. She practically ran to the performance and blended well with the small crowd that watched the unique style as the man also beat the drums with fairly long stick for drumming. He smiled huge when he noticed his best friend starting to nod along with the beat and lightly started to move her hips. She let go of his hand and started cheering the guy on with loud cat-calls that was in time with the drum hits and soon enough she was making a beat that blended well with the amateur performance. He wouldn't be mad at the loss of contact because she looked so happy as she used her hands and feet to make an impromptu beat and soon enough everyone around them was cheering her on.

He grooved along with her creation and even waved his body in time as he cheered along with the others. He started clapping along to encourage she had a huge grin as the guy made eye contact with her waved her over. Soon enough she took over the drums as he changed the beat on the laptop and they came up with a mix of deep basses and rhythmic thrums of the beat. She was immediately so cohesive with this stranger he had this awed smile with just how much talent she had at making music. _Seriously, name someone who could overtake a stranger's unique performance and make it better_, he arrogantly asked himself and was willing to start a fight if he heard one whispered boo. She was in her element as she laughed along with this guy as she made this performance better and the proof was with the larger crowd that started to form. The guy mixed in random sound effects of a man that eerily sounded like Justin Beiber was punched in his nuts. It was high-pitched and totally worked with the beats Haley created with the drums.

He clapped along with her beats and screamed the loudest as people crowded the small area more and started to drop money in the jar that was comfortably placed front and center of the misshaped set. Most wooed and cat-called while others clapped and nodded their heads, but he was her biggest cheerleader and he wouldn't have it any other way. They stayed a good 20 minutes with this random guy and she looked like she would never stop having fun. She jumped in place, whipped her hair, laughed like she could die tomorrow, and grooved as she wound up taking over the DJ duties as the guy started doing intricate ticking that brought in more money.

The whole time, Nathan had that feeling from earlier; the same feeling he traced back to his dream. He reveled in the feeling and hoped to God it never went away. His facial muscles started to hurt with how big he was smiling but he never gave two fucks about it.

**11:00 a.m. – UCLA, Medical Plaza**

Nathan sighed as he exited his class and readjusted his backpack strap. He never knew how much he missed his best friend until he spent the whole weekend dedicated to her and the last thing he absolutely wanted was to go back to the real world. Classes seemed to drag more than usual, his mind was not at all focused on the complicated notes, and he found he missed that feminine, smooth skin pressed against his forearms as they just walked side-by-side as they did most of the weekend. He had basketball practice tonight and he had no idea how he was going to focus on that when nothing seemed to stick in his mind except playbacks of the weekend with Haley.

Speaking of which, he hoped they could grab lunch so he could complain that she ruined him this past weekend and he dugged his phone for the usual whiny-toned text he seemed to always send her once a week since texting became an absolute necessity in his generation. He pressed down on the power button to power back on his phone when he noticed two texts and his grin became more prominent when his phone's screen flashed Haley's only smile for him along with the notification of a text. He silently read the message as he navigated with ease between the throngs of people and even though his smirk stayed in place, his eyes sagged a little in sadness and his stiff, broad shoulders deflated to a slight hunch as he felt disappointment spread.

_I freaking love you for this past weekend, I can't say it enough! I don't know about you, but I can focus for a little bit before my mind wanders to the epicness you gave me. But back to the real world, Chris just got back from Vegas and he wants to meet up. I'll probably won't be home tonight. __ Sorry, babe, I love you._

He couldn't be too saddened for not seeing her when he spent a full 72 hours straight with her. She really liked Chris so he wouldn't let jealousy build that she was spending time with her boyfriend. He was never the jealous type anyway, but he had a hard time sharing but he was willing sacrifice some things for her happiness. It was all that mattered when they first started hooking up anyway and he knew he was overreacting in some way. They were roommates and adults; shit happens but if this past weekend proved anything, it was their connection would never waver. Nothing broke them the past 10 years, a serious relationship on her part wasn't even a blip. He shrugged his sadness and boiling jealousy as he quickly texted her back.

_Don't worry, Hales, its life. But you're a lucky little witch because I. CANNOT. FOCUS. ON. ANYTHING! You're ruined me and the only way to make it better is to buy me dinner and be my MAJOR study buddy for this upcoming test on limbs and shit. See, I can't even remember the proper term because you're so goddamn perfect that I can't CONCENTRATE. _

He knew it would take only a few moments for her to read the overdramatic response and he chuckled when his phone dinged and her smiling face dazzled his phone. He clicked on the message and laughed out right.

_O.M.G, you're such a drama queen, you freaking baby! Fine, I'll get you the spiciest ish after practice tomorrow and sit your butt down studying limbs until your eyes blear. Chris is adamant I spend the night with him, tonight though. I'll see you tomorrow morning, babe _

He had the hugest grin as he typed out his message.

_It's a date :D_

He had a secret smile to himself as he followed the cord that comfortably sat on the back of his neck and draped down his shirt. His fingers met the end of the cord and plugged the jack into his phone as he slipped the ear buds into his ears and fiddled with his phone to access his music player. He had an in-between and his next class was across campus so he planned on stopping in the student center that was half-way to his destination. He was about to blast some Drake when his phone chimed again that he had another text and he had his signature smirk plastered and expected just a smiley face back from Haley.

Instead, he got something that wiped his smirk completely off his face and his happy persona flattened in two seconds as he read the new message.

_Nathan, I know you're out of class now so stop being a disrespectful brat and answer me._

He frowned at the text and belatedly realized he had another message when he turned on his phone. He was too caught up with Haley and completely forgot now he had to deal with the unnecessary wrath of his demon father. He sighed as he slid his finger down on the conversation and read the earlier text to see what the hell his father wanted now.

_I know you're in class, son, but I want you to text me the moment you get this. I'm going to be in town on Wednesday and we need to meet up. Clear your schedule._

He hung his head as he stopped in the middle of the walkway and ignored the protesting students that almost ran into him. "Fuck," he said. "Fuck my fucking life!"

**9:00 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

Nathan really hoped by the time he opened the door the lights would be dimmed, scented candles spread all throughout their kitchen and living room, and some ocean waves-sounding shit would be playing lowly through their sound system. Since he got the text of his father being in town, things just seemed to be downhill the last 48 hours. He got kicked out of class for not being able to answer a question because his mind wandered, he had to explain the situation in lament terms the moment his foot set inside Pauley Pavilion and as an unnecessary consequence, he was punished with extra suicides. Then coach practically wanted to kill him with the insane drills yesterday and today, plus put in extra time with weights.

Basically, things went to shit and he was getting tired of it.

He hoped to God Haley was home and had food ready and able to cater to his sore body. What he would do for a massage right now really showed as his shoulders sagged, his eyes lazy, and the slight limp he had as he walked slower to his apartment door and creeped the door open. He gave a huge sigh of relief as he heard his roommate's older music samples playing in the background and an aroma of food waftered through. He deeply inhaled and smirked to himself that she was making his favorite Spanish dish.

"Oh, my fucking God, he loves me," Nathan exclaimed as he suddenly had this burst of energy.

He dropped his gym bag in the corner of their small foyer and confidently walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. He slightly grimaced with every step he took but he hoped Haley wouldn't notice because she seemed very focus on the sizzling meat on the stove. Once he turned the corner and stepped inside the small room, she gave him his smile which seemed mega-watt and he couldn't help but suddenly feel lighter and happy. He gave a huge grin in return and enveloped her in a giant hug, even rocking her back side-to-side a little. She laughed and squeezed him harder and pulled up and he couldn't stop the permanent grin even if he wanted to. The move was so Haley and so signature of their friendship that she ever thought she could hug him tight enough to lift him off his feet. A sudden wave of familiarity spread throughout his body and all the shit that happened the last two days disappeared like a quick snap of the fingers.

"Are you okay?" She suddenly pulled away and looked at him with concern.

He frowned. "Yeah. Why?"

"Your muscles tensed when I squeezed you. What's going on?"

A flash of irritation passed through in a facial expression because he seriously thought he didn't wince that much for her notice. She seemed just as happy and relieved to see him after a whole day apart and he hoped she was deep-swimming in the amazing moment just to have her in his arms. However, she was so damn perceptive and knew every muscle in his body after 10-years-worth of massages that she knew he was hurting with just a finger-tip feel.

Goddamnit, he didn't want to ruin this moment but lying to her would just have made it worse.

"Coach has been riding me," he said after a sigh. "Make matters worse, demon is coming to town tomorrow so he's been a slight distraction."

"Are you kidding me?" She said with a roll of the eyes that claimed all sorts of levels of exasperation.

"'Fraid so. Got the heads up yesterday and I've been all loopy since. Shit, I even got kicked out of class."

"Why didn't you text me the moment you knew?"

He shrugged. "You were with Chris."

"Oh, my God. That demon-ass is more important. He's coming tomorrow?" She sighed as her hand went to her hair as she frazzled it.

Her other hand went to her hip that cocked out and she looked like she was about to stress herself with some sort of dilemma. Concern immediately took over his body and even though he could handle his father better when she was a constant reminder to counter-act the man's manipulative tactics, there was no way in Hell he was allowing her to sacrifice something for his issues. A look of disappointment quickly flew in his facial expression as he realized that _something_ was most likely Chris. His frown said he was going protest the next string of words that came out of her mouth but she wasn't paying attention as she looked away and bit her lip. He noticed her eyes actually trailed like she was literally reading whatever mental note she made and he saw how she was working out alternatives. He wanted to tell her not to waste her time thinking but before he could voice it, her eyes lightened up as she found her solution.

"I'm supposed to spend the day with Chris tomorrow, helping him set up a new venue but he can easily find someone to replace me and I can make up whatever manual labor on Thursday," she explained. "Either way, his show will be ready for Saturday, so we all have plenty of time. Your father is leaving by the weekend, right?"

"No."

"Excuse me? You never say no to me."

He gently grabbed her shoulders. "No, you're not cancelling on Chris tomorrow. I'm a grown-ass man; I should be able to handle my demon father without you by now."

"Nathan—"

"Look, can we talk about this later? I'm pretty sure you're burning my favorite Spanish dish."

Her eyes widened in a comical bugged-eye response and he loved how he saw the green specs in her brown eyes with the ambient light.

"Oh shit!" She practically leaped and started furiously scrubbing the bottom of the pan with the spatula.

"Oh, God!" Nathan said as his eyes practically rolled to the back of his head as he felt the pressure in his lower back magically disparate.

He swore to all the Gods in the high Heavens that Haley had the most amazing, magical fingers in the entire universe. He knew he was being dramatic about it, but that's how much attention she deserved when it came to her massages. They were on the living room couch and he was shirtless, on his stomach, receiving the best massage to date as she kneed her fingers deeper into the center of her target area. The pressure intensified until the hidden knot suddenly disappearance and he felt loose and light. He sighed his pleasure and was about to pay her a compliment and voice his thanks when she finally said something.

"Why don't you want me there when you meet Dan?" She asked quietly.

They ate in silence after she barely saved their dinner in the dim lights and glass of wine. The atmosphere called for it and he had a sinking feeling she wanted him relaxed when she broached the subject of his demon father again. The feeling was confirmed when she waited until he cleaned his plate (licking the scraps included) when she took all their dishes to the kitchen and suggested a massage after she settled back into the couch. The way she looked at him; with adoration and calculative sweetness, he couldn't have said no. He never denied her anything really and if she offered one of the best things on Earth, he wouldn't be an idiot.

He wanted to be prepared for the sudden broach, since this was basically her M.O. to get anything reluctant out of him, but no matter how many times he experienced the tactic, it still caught him off guard. She could be the best thieves out there in the world, if she wanted to because her ways of getting information was pretty much one of the beastly things he ever saw in action. Of course, though, she was too nice most of the time and if he really wanted to analyze the situation, that's probably why he was always caught off guard when it was applied to him. Even after ten years of friendship, she still amazed him and he would cherish that until the day he died.

He sighed as her fingers glided up to his shoulders and started to work out the pressure points there. Now was the time than ever to explain himself.

"I always want you with me when it comes to Dan," he said. "I just don't think you need to cancel your plans with Chris tomorrow."

"It's not a need, Nathan. I want to. Your dad is a big deal and Chris will understand."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then it's a damn shame on his part because I'm not going to leave you alone vulnerable to that degrading man."

"I don't need you to always protect me, Hales. Even though I love it."

"I should be there, Nate."

"No, you shouldn't. It's just going to fuel him more and you really want it to work with Chris, right?"

"Of course I do, but you're always going to be number one. Why are you fighting it all the sudden?"

He gave an exasperated scoff. "I'm not fighting anything! Look, we'll text constantly tomorrow, okay? You made plans with Chris already don't let him down by ditching for me."

She scoffed right back. "I never ditched him for you!"

"Then why are you going to start now?"

"Because you need me."

"He needs you more. I think after ten years of my father's abuse and you being there, I think I can handle this on my own. Please. Do this for me?"

Silence overcame the room and he hoped he made his point across. The only noises were his quiet moans every few seconds and all he felt was the delicious pressure of her soft fingers as they worked circles into his tight muscles. He hoped he didn't really upset her with his adamant refusal in breaking their rituals because she was too quiet in the tense minutes that followed his request. He wasn't exactly thrilled that she wouldn't be there by his side when she was fiercely there the past ten years. He saw how happy she was with Chris, though, and he didn't want to ruin that since the last year all she talked about was finding happiness and love in a relationship. There was trepidation in his mind at the prospect of dealing with his father without the constant, physical support of his best friend but he couldn't always rely on her especially when she was starting to move on in a relationship. He swallowed the bad lump in his throat when he started to think about her and Chris and he quickly squashed that line of thought. It was already depressing he had to deal with Dan without her, he didn't need to add the sadness when it came to the other _man_.

"Fine," she finally said, quietly. "But only because you don't ask much with this extent. I love you, Nate, and I wish you would change your mind but it is your decision at the end of it all. I'm always here for you, babe."

"And I'll be here forever," he softly replied. "Thank you. I love you, too."

_I do hope forever_, he couldn't help the depressing thought but it quickly disappeared when she intimately kissed his cheek as she draped her upper body on his back and hugged him. He felt her eyes closed and something close to peace in Heaven filled his insides. He wanted to flip around so he could fully experience her closeness and when he started to move, she instinctively knew what he wanted and lifted herself to the end of the couch and patiently waited. Once he settled, she molded her body into his like she belonged and he loved the fact he could wrap his arms around her back and everything in the world was right.

They fell asleep on the couch with their hearts beating the same rhythm.

**6:15 p.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

It was the longest week and half of his entire life and Nathan wanted to crawl in the smallest position his frame would allow and die. His father arrived last Wednesday and refused to give out when he was scheduled to leave. If it wasn't class, it was practice. If it wasn't practice, it was uncomfortably tensed dinners with his father where all he endured was what he _didn't_ do right. If it wasn't those dinners, it was extra practice Dan scheduled without him knowing until he showed up at his apartment door, outside his lecture halls, or even lingering in the passageway of Pauley Pavilion Center. It was just constant basketball and he never thought he would disdain a sport that was instilled in his blood until his demon father showed up for these impromptu "visits."

He wouldn't be complaining so much if Haley was home after his annoying days but for ten days straight, she was with Chris after hours. It totally bummed him to come home to an empty apartment or if he managed two-point-five seconds to himself to check his phone and a disappointing text from his best friend waited for him. He was seriously missing his best friend but he had to stay strong and if anything, it wasn't like she was abandoning him. _He asked for this_, and she was simply obliging his request.

Still, the times he complained where she was too nice? This was one of the times where he deeply, secretly wished she wouldn't be too nice and told him to shove it up his ass and she was going to be here. He would entertain the thought for a few seconds as he pondered on their couch with a cold beer in his hand before he would physically rid of the bitter thought as he shook his head side-to-side harder. His best friend was in love with someone else and enjoying the steady relationship. He couldn't destroy that with his clinginess and the more he thought about it, maybe it was time for him to start distancing himself. He couldn't rely on her forever with his daddy issues and he wouldn't expect her to be single forever. Although she never showed or complained about their relationship being a huge issue in dating, he knew it was starting to affect her that she always had to choose.

He didn't want that for her. From the very beginning, they always agreed their happiness for one another would be their foundation. They simply wanted the other happy. He was happy with basketball and she was happy with music. When it came to other people, they just never compared to the level of intensity and they had this deep bond that neither could really explain fully. A connection was there and for ten years it was unbreakable.

It still was, but he started to think about her relationship with Chris a lot more now. The happiness showed in her eyes and it would possibly kill him if she had to choose between him and her boyfriend. That position was unfair to her now and so in his crazy mind, he started to think about maybe it was time to pull back just a little. This was the ultimate test; if he could survive without clinging to her about his mental-abusive father, then they could overcome anything and maybe – just maybe – he could handle giving away Haley at her wedding or something. He knew they would always be best friends but he never considered the fact that he might have to give up so much time with her if she met someone that matched her in all levels. The thought was starting to creep more often than not and he would be lying if the thought of abandonment from her scared the shit out of him, but they all had to grow up, right?

And if he was honest, if it had to be any other man, it would probably be Chris.

The moment the thought crossed, he had the strangest stomach pain ever in his entire life. All the sudden, a tight clinch clamped inside so quickly he winced and dropped his beer. Luckily, the cool beverage landed in a small clatter and was upright on the coffee table as he instinctively wrapped his arms around his mid-section and held on with a permanent grimace on his face until the pain passed. He was so flabbergasted about what just happened he had no time to ask what the fuck that was when the front door opened.

"Nathan, my love!" Haley yelled out as the door slammed back.

He frowned when his stomach was suddenly better but didn't dwell on the freaky incident when he turned his head around and the first thing he saw on his best friend was his smile. She was infectious in every way and he found the corners of his mouth stretched in the biggest grin he sported in weeks. She immediately dropped her stuff and tackled him in a hug, her breath etched on the skin of his neck and it was the best feeling he ever experienced. They laughed at how silly they probably looked and even though he was exhausted, he mustered all the strength he had and lifted them both up until they were in sitting position, her legs draped across his lap and her arms still wrapped around his neck.

She kissed his cheek and leaned her head back to get a look at him. He literally felt her happiness radiating off her and onto him and he felt the pureness spread throughout his body, expelling the exhaustion, built-up anger, and sadness that created this huge pyramid of those emotions inside him. Then, suddenly, it swooshed in disappearance as concern filled her eyes and facial expression as she deeply frowned.

"What's wrong?" She immediately asked.

"Nothing," he gently shrugged her off because he couldn't take the intensity of her concern. "I was just realizing how much I missed you until you walked through the door."

"Oh, my God, he was bigger ass than usual, wasn't he?"

"He might've sensed you weren't around and used that to his advantage. It was no biggie, though. He finally left this afternoon and I survived."

"Barely. Why didn't you call me when it got intense?"

"We talked about this, Haley." He deeply sighed.

She frazzled her hair and shook her head. She bit her lip and took a long look at him and he had to break eye contact from her early. He uncomfortably gulped at the analyzed look she threw his way. Even without the eye contact, she saw right through his façade and saw his fragile soul. He was trying to downplay the last week and a half and she was right; he barely survived because even Dan saw how much he was affected by not having Haley around. He surely pounced on the fact, saying even she saw how much of a failure he was because he couldn't keep her around because he was a pussy and couldn't deliver on anything; basketball or a female. The first time he heard it, the jab was easily ignored because Dan had no idea what it was like to have a lasting relationship. However, the constant ribbing and mind games his father was so good at he could fool the devil himself, he was at a single thread by this morning. If he heard another passive-aggressive comment about Haley leaving him, he was going to go to jail for murder and he was deathly afraid she'd put her phone on silent because she was Chris's many morning rehearsals of his art gallery openings. He was so close to crying over the phone for Haley to come home and comfort him but he didn't want to hurt her relationship with his fucked-up issues.

So he stayed strong, endured all types of Hell his father dished out and all she had to do was look at him and saw how much of a wreckage he went through. He hated the fact she was hurt by his need to do this by himself when the whole reason why he did it was for her. He didn't want to ruin another relationship like his father so wisely caught on about and implied he was so much not a man because of his need to cry to Haley about the pressures of life. He wanted to snap that the pressures of life was him and if he was so unhappy with his performances, then leave him the Hell alone and go back home to focus on a protégé there. Of course, that outburst would cause more unlikely drama so he kept his mouth shut and allowed him slowly to break him down.

His father's words floated throughout his mind as he hung his head and allowed his best friend to stare as she silently analyzed him. This was not how he wanted his reunion with Haley so he kept his head down and bit his lip as he tried to stop any insecurity that allowed him to get up and walk away. Gently, he felt her soft fingers trail from the middle of his chin to the side of his jaw where it was greatly defined and guided his head up then to his left where his probably stormy blue eyes met her glistened brown. He saw the sadness in her eyes and his heart dropped because he never wanted to be the reason for that emotion. There was so much emotion in that heated glance that his breath hitched when she closed the distance and firmly pressed her wet lips against his dry ones.

He never noticed when she licked her lips for the soft impact but he was sure glad she did. They stayed in that intimate stance, only their lips and points of their knees touched until air was something impotent. When they kissed, nothing mattered to him. That pure happiness that always filled him every time they touched spread like wildfire inside him and he was lost for a moment. It wasn't until she slightly pulled back to take a deep breath when everything sucker-punched and came back with a severe impact that pulled completely away. He was about to leave the room entirely when she unexpectedly held a strong grip on his chin with just the tips of her fingers.

"Don't!" She practically said with venom as she pushed him back with her body as she straddled him.

"I can't do this to you," he whispered weakly back.

"I'm the one who's kissing you," she said as she gently pressed her forehead to his in the most intimate way that completely relaxed his body. "Stop trying to change this. This is what we do, Nathan. When we need comfort, this is what we give. I should've never spent all my time with Chris when Dan was around. Hell, you didn't even answer my texts when I asked about him. So stop. I should've been here the moment he landed; do you know how much it killed me not to be there for you?"

"I'm sorry," tears pricked behind his closed eyelids as he had a hard time swallowing. "I didn't want to cause you hurt. I had no idea."

"Then just kiss me."

He practically tasted her words as her mouth was so close to his. Her breath had a mixture of comfort and heat that for one second, he bit the corner of his bottom lip before he let go of sanity and puckered his lips. This kiss was… so intoxicating, desperate, and exactly what he needed to chase away any serious doubts in his body. He felt so complete to have this close to him again and he never wanted either them to leave this position. It wasn't the fact they were making-out when she had boyfriend; no, it was more than that complicated situation. He literally felt he was baring his soul to her and vice-versa. They were on this level of utopia that only they knew existed and it was only possible when they were together like this higher level of connection that was beyond the sky. It was more than intimacy, it was more than comfort, and it was more than closeness. It was more than just a _kiss_.

He couldn't describe it; it was just something that defined them and wanted that feeling always and forever.

He distantly heard ringing but he couldn't be bothered by the incessant noise and neither could Haley as she pushed her breasts deeper in his neck and let out the most quiet yet erotic moan. His hands gripped her hips as he too had this insatiable need to get her closer. He adjusted his hips once in an upward thrust and she went wild. Their tongues weren't enough in the passion as she broke the kiss and kissed along his jawline. He left almost shy kisses along her shoulder to the junction of her neck as her slender arms wrapped around his head to pull him closer. His heated breath tickled her neck as her nails embedded into his skull as she tugged his head back for better access. His hair was being ruffled and he loved the sensation. He literally felt his throat muscles pressed against his skin as he gulped and her beautiful mouth connected with his again. She kept him place as their tongues continued the same pattern they developed uniquely their own in the ten years they were together.

It seemed like hours to him and he couldn't get enough. She was equally enthusiastic about being this close to him again and to him, it did seem there was this slight sense of urgency when they both knew they were in the comforts in their home and this was something they needed. Nothing was going to go beyond this because as strange as it seemed, whatever more than what they were doing wasn't what they needed. This, right here, was exactly what they _needed_.

**3:54 a.m. – Nathan and Haley's Apartment**

_Nathan panted like he was in a sex marathon. The blood flow was rushing to the very tip of his muscles as he exerted as much as possible. He was working hard toward what he wanted and it wasn't as much as who he was with, but __**she**__ would be screaming his name throughout the entire time. Her encouragements always fuelled him and despite everything around him, his ears focused on words even though it seemed like she was far away. His eyes focused; never left the body in front of him as he analyzed every move. The way the hip bones thrusted, the way the legs worked as it powered just to stay in the same rhythm as he, the sheer sweat that dribbled down the face and how the muscles taunted every time they moved in a direction like it was an intimate dance between them, he saw it all. He was sure he looked the same and the sweat almost blinded his vision and a panic zeroed in from the pit of his stomach to the middle of his esophagus as he was very close to losing it all._

_He sucked in his breath as he set his feet and jumped with all his might. He let out a terrific roar as he jumped the full height his six-foot-two frame would allow and shot out his hand in a slight angle mid-air. His fingertips felt glory as it came in contact with the leather ball and he blocked Kobe Bryant's fade-away. The block was so monstrous, he made Kobe fall back in a surprised haste and he grinned when Kobe's ass and lower back collided hard with the concrete court and the crash amplified in his ears. He wanted to boost and talk shit, about how no punk-ass bitch pro was going to throw down on __**his**__ court but the girl that mattered distracted his foul mouth that got him into too much trouble than what was worth._

_Haley had that same smile that he was used to for ten years and he gravitated towards her, completely bypassing the once hero he had admiration for and went straight to his girl. She stood at the edge of the mini bleachers and her eyes practically glinted in happiness when he came near. Without hesitation, he continued his stride until she was at arm's length and swooped her up in the most delicate hug that was only perfected in Disney movies. She immediately wrapped her legs until they were snug on his hip bones and kept her entire body close, her face cradled into his neck and arms tightly wrapped his head like she was protecting him. Her breath tickled the conjecture of his neck and shoulder and it felt like he was home._

_That one-on-one game was for her, his Haley; to impress in her all the ways. That he was stronger to protect her, smarter to help her, quicker to be there for her no matter what; anything to show he was right for her and the way she was responding to him right now said that she believed him. It just felt right, with the sun beating down on them but that coolness the ocean breeze provided to show the simplicity that he should kiss her to seal the unspoken deal. So he pulled back and saw that she wanted this too with all the emotion that swirled in her coffee eyes and he leaned in, just like that; like it was the simplest thing in the world to do._

_The kiss was better than any basketball play; the kiss made him felt like he was alive._

Nathan woke up with sheer sweat that was clammy and cold against his naked chest. With the emotional roller coaster he went through today, the dream he's had for almost a month now made sense. What killed everything inside him though wasn't the fact that he saw Haley left with Chris after everything they went through in the last 24 hours. He slumped back in bed with every adjective synonym to sad zooming throughout his body. What killed him was that as he looked down at his chest, she wasn't curled there.

**End of Chapter 10. If it helps, the gap between the two scenes was intentional and will be fully explained in the next chapter. Until next time and thank you again. Review if you'd like.**

**CAli**


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